Cornerstone Training

Imagine someone you love is driving through a small town on their way to visit relatives over the holidays and they get hit by a drunk driver. Their chances of survival depend on the training and efficiency of local fire department personnel to extract them from the wreckage and get them life saving medical treatment. The Illinois Fire Service Institute's Cornerstone Training program (brochure information here) helps bring that training to fire departments across the state for free.

Today was the unveiling of specialized equipment training trailers that will be distributed across Illinois and mobilized from regional training centers. The IFSI is the State's fire academy and its 28 acre campus is located right here in Champaign south of the University Research Park. IFSI trains over 64,000 students across Illinois and 11,000 in the the Cornerstone Program. The new trailers will make $174,000 worth of training equipment available as part of that training for departments with limited resources. One big highlight is the "big red door" training tool that has a cornucopia of entry training widgets that range from industrial to household scenarios and replaceable wooden blocks to simulate the resistance involved to bypass or break through:

The most recent Cornerstone Program brochure goes through the various skills and scenarios that it brings to train departments throughout the state, including volunteer fire departments that sometimes have very limited resources for training and equipment. At the unveiling Fire Marshal Matt Perez was credited with making the additional trailer project and funding possible via grant money and business partners. From the News-Gazette's preview of the event last week:

Four trailers and equipment for them were purchased with $175,000 in state of Illinois money secured by the state fire marshal’s office. Fire Marshal Matt Perez was instrumental in lobbying for and getting the funds.

A spokeswoman for FSI said the money is funneled through the institute’s “Cornerstone Program,” which delivers fundamental training to local fire departments, Mutal Aid Box Alarm System divisions and Mutual Aid Associations.

Full blurb here and followup coverage here. Tim Meister of the East Central Illinois regional training center read a letter from the Mattoon fire department thanking them for the training. He explained the difference it made in having the tactics and readiness to deal with a particularly emotional and life threatening vehicle extrication. He highlighted the confidence in knowing exactly how to tackle the situation with the resources available to give the victim a fighting chance to survive.

An IFSI advisor, Brian R. Brauner explained to me that the training they receive goes into so many possible scenarios and complications that it led to his first fire experience being undramatic, "That was it?" It's worth remembering that these dangerous life or death scenarios may be the worst day of our entire lives, but firefighting personnel have to deal with those scenarios efficiently and tactically daily. Behind the Culver's and Arby's on South Neil Street in Champaign, thousands of people are training for your worst possible day.

That training has just become a little bit better and more accessible to fire departments throughout the State, for free, including rural and volunteer fire departments. This often includes the efforts of firefighters who take time away from their families to help out in other areas. It includes volunteers and some uncompensated work to help save lives for that day. Someday it might just give someone you love a fighting chance too.