Illinois e-News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

October 31, 2025      

Contact: 

Paul Cicchini 217-785-1719

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) and the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) are continuing their collaborative efforts to enhance firefighter safety through on-demand, experience-based training courses. Their ongoing partnership underscores a shared commitment to striking the balance between firefighter safety and operational effectiveness.

A new offering from this partnership is a course focused on The Ridge Incident. The course examines the tragic events surrounding the 2021 line of duty death of Lt. Garrett Ramos. Using audio and video captured during the incident, the course guides participants through the circumstances that led to the loss of a firefighter in a single-story residential home, highlights the results of the IL OSHA investigation, and identifies measures to reduce the risk of a similar tragedy happening again.

The training provides specific, actionable strategies that can be implemented at structure fires to reduce the risk of firefighter injury or death. The course, which takes less than an hour, is designed for firefighters at all levels—from probationary members to chief officers— and emphasizes practical strategies for improving operational safety, enhancing situational awareness, and strengthening command decision-making under high-risk conditions.

“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 IL OSHA identified in this incident to the men and women of the Illinois fire service through IFSI’s outstanding virtual campus.”

Through ongoing collaboration, IDOL and IFSI continue to expand training opportunities informed by real-world incidents and data-driven safety analysis. Together, the agencies are building a stronger, safer fire service community that honors the sacrifices of fallen firefighters by preventing future tragedies.

“IFSI is steadfast in our commitment to supporting first responders and disseminating information that can mitigate the inherent risks of the job.” said IFSI Director Jim Keiken. “This partnership with IL OSHA allows us to share the lessons learned from this tragedy with first responders from across Illinois. The use of the IFSI virtual campus platform also ensures all first responders have easy access to this critical training material.”

In July 2025, IL OSHA and IFSI launched an on-demand training course, “Defenses for Firefighters”, to help firefighters navigate the challenge of balancing personal safety with effective emergency response.

The new course is now available through the IFSI training platform.

Occupational safety and health standards enforcement for employers in Illinois is a shared responsibility between the U.S. Department of Labor (federal OSHA) and the Illinois Department of Labor (IL OSHA). Federal OSHA, an Administration under the U.S. Department of Labor, covers all private sector workplaces while IL OSHA, a Division of the Illinois Department of Labor, covers all state and local government workplaces.

IL OSHA protects the safety and health of public employees through education, training, and enforcement of state occupational safety and health regulations.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) is the statutory State Fire Academy for Illinois. It serves as the oldest continuous fire training institution in the United States. Since 1925, first responders from across the state and world have relied on IFSI to deliver hands-on, innovative, and top-quality training, education, and research. Located in Champaign, the main IFSI campus offers a 28-acre training ground with class-a live fire props and training equipment. Courses are delivered on campus, online, at state regional training centers, and locations across the United States and internationally.