Illinois Agencies Continue Partnership to Strengthen Firefighter Safety Training
The Illinois Department of Labor’s IL OSHA and the Illinois Fire Service Institute are expanding their partnership to provide on-demand, experience-based firefighter safety training, using real-world lessons to prevent future tragedies.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Oct 31, 2025
The Illinois Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) and the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) are continuing their partnership to enhance firefighter safety through on-demand, experience-based training.
The latest course, The Ridge Incident, examines the 2021 line-of-duty death of Lt. Garrett Ramos. Using audio and video from the event, it reviews investigation findings and outlines measures to prevent similar tragedies. The course, which takes less than an hour, provides strategies for improving operational safety, situational awareness and command decision-making during structure fires.
“Every lesson identified in the wake of a tragedy must be learned to protect those who continue to serve,” said IL OSHA Chief Erik Kambarian. “Our partnership with IFSI allows us to communicate the lessons identified in this incident to the men and women of the Illinois fire service.”
IFSI Director Jim Keiken said the collaboration ensures first responders statewide have access to critical training materials through IFSI’s virtual campus.
IL OSHA and IFSI previously launched Defenses for Firefighters in July 2025 to help firefighters balance personal safety with emergency response demands.
IL OSHA, part of the Illinois Department of Labor, oversees occupational safety for state and local government workplaces, while federal OSHA covers private-sector employers.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.