Illinois Labor Department, Fire Service Institute Expand Training to Improve Firefighter Safety (Springfield, IL) – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) are expanding their partnership to deliver new, experience-based safety training for firefighters, focusing on lessons learned from real-life emergencies and tragedies.
The collaboration, between IDOL’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) and IFSI, aims to strengthen firefighter safety while maintaining operational effectiveness. Their newest training course, centered on the 2021 line-of-duty death of Lt. Garrett Ramos, uses audio, video, and investigative findings to help firefighters understand the circumstances that led to the incident and how similar tragedies can be prevented.
Ramos, a Sterling firefighter, died after falling through the floor of a burning home during a December 2021 fire. The IL OSHA investigation identified key safety lessons that are now being used as part of this new training module.
“The course walks participants through the events of the incident and highlights measures that can be implemented to reduce risk at future structure fires,” said IL OSHA Chief Erik Kambarian. “Every lesson identified in the wake of a tragedy must be learned to protect those who continue to serve.”
The training, which takes less than an hour to complete, is accessible to firefighters at all ranks—from rookies to command staff—and emphasizes improving situational awareness, operational safety, and command decision-making in dangerous environments.
IFSI Director Jim Keiken said the institute’s online training platform makes these safety lessons accessible statewide. “This partnership with IL OSHA allows us to share the lessons learned from this tragedy with first responders across Illinois,” Keiken said. “The use of the IFSI virtual campus ensures all first responders have easy access to this critical training material.”
The course, titled The Ridge Incident, builds on a growing library of joint safety programs developed by IDOL and IFSI. Earlier this year, the agencies introduced Defenses for Firefighters, an on-demand course designed to help firefighters balance personal safety with effective emergency response.
Together, IL OSHA and IFSI say their ongoing collaboration represents a long-term investment in firefighter safety—one that honors the memory of fallen firefighters by preventing future losses.
The new Ridge Incident course is available now through the IFSI online training platform.
Illinois Labor Department, Fire Service Institute Expand Training to Improve Firefighter Safety
