New BFD firefighter receives specialized training

By Anne Eickstadt

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Republican
Adrian Trujillo gears up as Lt. Letourneau is ready to assist by handing him his helmet.

Editor

“At Western Illinois University, I did a lot of book work and paper work,” said Adrian Trujillo. “I learned the legal side of the job. The college has a very good fire science program but it is a new program and they didn’t have enough equipment at the college for the students to work with. They are trying to get the Candidate Physical Ability Test [CPAT] going there as most fire departments require it. I did the CPAT separately.”

“He got a basic foundation at NIPSTA [Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy],” said Lt Chris Letourneau. “We have been giving him a general training introduction to other agencies such as Lifeline, Dispatch, Belvidere Police Dept., and even a tour of the jail. He is getting an overview of how we operate and his face is getting known in the community.”

“At the academy I just attended [NIPTSA], we did a lot of the physical work – rescues, working with tools – overall, everything the fire service does. Every week we learned something new. On Monday we started with nine and a half hours of bookwork. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we would be out in the hanger or outside doing every skill we learned on Monday. We worked with chainsaws and K-12 circular saws. We learned how to save a downed firefighter. We did extrications. We practiced with house fires and rescuing people, and self-rescue from fires. We cutting holes in roofs and we practiced ladder evolutions and setting up any type of ladder properly. By the end of the fire academy, I was also certified in hazmat (hazardous materials) procedures.

“Fridays were our live fire days. That was when we put into actual practice everything we had learned that week. We learned how to…

For complete article, pick up the April 18 Belvidere Republican.