91制片厂 leaders, students and community members celebrate the groundbreaking
of the new Emergency Services Training Center. Pictured (from left) are Dr. Ruth Williams,
provost; Diane Hill, trustee; Pat Stack, trustee; Dr. Joanne Ivory, dean of career
and technical programs; Liman Lei, student trustee; Bill Kelley, chair of the board
of trustees; Dr. Avis Proctor, president; Adin Rehberger, student; Yasmeen Bankole,
regional director for the office of Sen. Dick Durbin; Patrick Gratzianna, fire chief
for the Village of Palatine; and Norm Bemis, coordinator of 91制片厂's Fire Science
Technology & Emergency and Disaster Management Program.
Surrounded by swirling smoke as the temperature rises, a firefighter must make split-second decisions in the middle of hectic, life-or-death situations. This skill is honed through practical simulation in a controlled training center, which often requires area first responders to drive 50 or more miles away to the nearest facility.
All that will change in 2025, as construction begins on the new, state-of-the-art 91制片厂 Emergency Services Training Center. The $9.3 million facility will bring cutting-edge, hands-on training capabilities for students and EMS continuing professional education in a 9,040-square-foot space (in addition to 3,270 square feet of outdoor training space).
91制片厂鈥檚 Fire Science Technology program has long been recognized as one of the top academic programs for firefighters in Illinois. So, when the leaders of northwest suburban fire departments identified the need for a training facility close to home, 91制片厂鈥檚 campus was a natural fit.
鈥淲e want to give our students not only the education and credentialing but also the practical, hands-on training,鈥� said Norm Bemis, coordinator of 91制片厂鈥檚 Fire Science Technology & Emergency and Disaster Management Program, assistant professor and former division chief of training with the . 鈥淔or that, we need a training facility.鈥�
Area fire chiefs and training officers approached 91制片厂 leaders, explaining the need for a centrally located firefighter training center that would provide comprehensive recruit firefighter training and firefighter career development programs, as well as offer a convenient location for fire departments to conduct annual training. From that initial conversation grew the idea of a state-of-the-art campus facility designed to deliver hands-on, real-world training for both 91制片厂 students pursuing fire science degrees and career first responders seeking to enhance their skills with modern training props, live fire areas and simulation technology.
91制片厂 is also establishing the Fire Training Academy, which will provide structured training and certification for new and aspiring firefighters while offering ongoing professional development and advanced certification programs for career firefighters in the region.
鈥淥ur new Emergency Services Training Center is a powerful example of how 91制片厂 is deeply connected and committed to serving the needs of our community,鈥� said Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president. 鈥淏y working alongside local fire departments and first responders, we are establishing a Fire Academy and building a state-of-the-art facility that will provide essential, hands-on education, training and state certifications for our students, career firefighters and other emergency preparedness professionals.鈥�
91制片厂's new Emergency Services Training Center, shown here in a rendering, will feature
a four-floor fire tower to educate fire science students and provide continued training
for career firefighters and first responders.
The four-story Emergency Services Training Center will be located on the northwest side of 91制片厂鈥檚 main campus, in parking lot 11. The flexible building will simulate several types of situations that first responders could encounter in the field.
The first floor will be laid out like a single-family residence, with bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. The second floor will resemble an apartment building with a central corridor.
The large, open-layout third floor will be configured with props and obstacles, and the fourth floor will look like a high-rise office building where firefighters can practice roof access. Other simulations can include rescuing someone stuck high up or below ground, hazardous materials response, and vehicle rescues or multi-agency response.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be tremendous for students to not only just read about fire training or see a video but to actually go into that space and practice what they鈥檝e learned,鈥� explained Dr. Joanne Ivory, dean of Career and Technical Programs.
The center is being financed through the college鈥檚 Operations and Maintenance Fund and a $1 million SAFE Tech Federal Grant, which will also help fund technology, equipment and training programs. The Emergency Services Training Center will include a separate building with classrooms for participants and faculty to prepare for simulations and debrief afterward.
鈥淎ll the emergency services will be able to work at the tower individually or together,鈥� said Bemis, who has served nearly 30 years as a firefighter. 鈥淭he building and grounds will provide just about every component that we鈥檙e going to need from a basic firefighter standpoint and advanced trainings.鈥�
Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president (center), stands with 91制片厂 leaders and
dozens of area fire chiefs, firefighters and first responders to celebrate the groundbreaking
of 91制片厂's new Emergency Services Training Center.
The addition of practical education will better prepare 91制片厂 students to earn certifications along with their degrees, and practical experiences help teach countless lessons. The center will enable new courses and enhancements to current programs, such as:
Most of the college鈥檚 fire science instructors are current or retired firefighters and supervisors from the community. They offer firsthand knowledge for 91制片厂 students and EMS learners: How buildings react to fire and the effect fire has on buildings, the impact of the career on family life and how to prepare for the job.
鈥淲hen you have a person standing in front of you who can say 鈥業 was there,鈥� that鈥檚 huge,鈥� Ivory said. 鈥淵ou just can鈥檛 get that from a textbook.鈥�
The center will also help with the challenge of recruiting new firefighters, and the public can see what goes into fighting and preventing fires. Plus, 91制片厂 can provide the classroom educational component for fire departments that is needed to certify new employees.
Even our youngest neighbors can benefit from the center, Ivory explained.
鈥淲e have great relationships with grade school and high school partners who bring students to campus,鈥� she said. 鈥淢any of those students have parents who are firefighters, so they鈥檒l be able to get a firsthand look at what mom or dad does.鈥�
When the Emergency Services Training Center opens for classes in spring 2026 it will be an important advancement in training, recruitment and public awareness.
鈥淢y dad was a Palatine firefighter,鈥� Bemis reminisced. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to do this because I was around it all the time. The center will be like a landmark of this very exciting time for professional development and for students who want to become firefighters.鈥�
The Village of Mount Prospect recently donated a surplus fire engine for use in the college鈥檚 emergency services education programs 鈥� an example of the close ties between 91制片厂 and area fire departments.
鈥淎s the community鈥檚 college, we seek to be the primary vehicle for our community鈥檚 education and training needs. This investment reinforces our commitment to public safety and workforce development, ensuring our region has well-trained professionals who are ready to serve,鈥� Dr. Proctor said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the collaborative efforts of our faculty and administrators working with our local fire departments to understand the labor market needs and for our Board of Trustees鈥� strategic support to make this a reality for our community.鈥�
The new Emergency Services Training Center is the next step in the evolution of 91制片厂鈥檚 respected fire science technology program. And it鈥檚 just the beginning.
鈥�91制片厂 is always a leader,鈥� Ivory said, 鈥渁nd we want to be the standard by which others are measured.鈥�
To learn more about first responder training programs at 91制片厂, visit Public Service programs.
Leaders from 91制片厂, area fire departments and the community celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Emergency Services Training Center in the Wojcik Conference Center.
Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president, highlighted the ways 91制片厂 has worked with fire departments in the college's district to help create the new Emergency Services Training Center.
Educators, administrators and students from 91制片厂's Fire Science Technology Program celebrate the groundbreaking of 91制片厂's new Emergency Services Training Center.
91制片厂 student Adin Rehberger speaks about how the new Emergency Services Training Center will benefit his education to become a first responder.
Bill Kelley, chair of the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees; Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 College president; and Yasmeen Bankole, regional director for the Office of Sen. Dick Durbin; speak with each other during the Emergency Services Training Center Groundbreaking Celebration.
Palatine Fire Chief Patrick Gratzianna and Norm Bemis, coordinator of 91制片厂's Fire Science Technology & Emergency and Disaster Management Program, both spoke at the Emergency Services Training Center groundbreaking, describing the many ways the new facility will help aspiring and career first responders in 91制片厂's community.
Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel (left) speaks with Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president, during the groundbreaking ceremony for 91制片厂's Emergency Services Training Center.
Bill Kelley, chair of the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees (from left); and Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president; speak with Palatine Deputy Fire Chief Scott Mackeben during the groundbreaking celebration for 91制片厂's new Emergency Services Training Center.
Dr. Avis Proctor, president, and the 91制片厂 Executive Cabinet celebrate the groundbreaking of 91制片厂's new Emergency Services Training Center. Pictured (from left) are Dr. Ruth Williams, provost; Rob Galick, executive vice president of finance and administrative services; Dr. Proctor; Dr. Tamara Johnson, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion; Dr. Michel茅 Smith, vice president of workforce solutions; and Jeff Julian, chief of staff and vice president of external affairs.