Danville Firefighters Elevate Skills with Advanced Training Program

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In Danville, Illinois, a collaborative effort is underway to bolster the skills of local fire departments. On Tuesday, Central Illinois firefighters kicked off an intensive training program designed to enhance their life-saving abilities through practical, hands-on experience.

This initiative marks the first day of a week-long training session, where firefighters from Danville and neighboring areas are engaging in advanced vertical ventilation techniques. To facilitate this specialized training, the departments have enlisted the expertise of Soda City Training, a renowned company based in South Carolina.

Discussing the significance of this partnership, Ryan Allison, the Captain and Training Officer for the Danville Fire Department, remarked, “We truly have something exceptional here, and it’s gratifying to see that recognized by others as well.”

This collaboration represents a significant step forward for the local departments, ensuring that their firefighters are equipped with the most up-to-date skills and techniques to effectively respond to emergencies.

“They agreed to put on training at no cost for our members in exchange for using the buildings that we have here in town,” Allison said.

It’s what makes Danville nationally known for first responder training.

“Danville is becoming a national spotlight, not all cities allow firefighters and law enforcement to train in vacant buildings,” Jason Joannides, Soda City Training’s owner, shared.

Tuesday was all about vertical ventilation.

“They’re going to start with some basics about chainsaws… maintenance, operation, and use,” Allison said.

As part of the training, firefighters learned how to remove heat and smoke from the roof.

“Smoke in the building is a significant hazard for people who are potentially trapped inside and for our firefighters who are operating inside,” Allison shared.

Joannides said that training on real houses is the best way to prepare for real events.

“When we start cutting on these roofs, there may be surprises underneath that we don’t have in our training props because people have stored stuff in their attic, or they put wires, or extra wood,” Joannides said.

The fire department hopes that their firefighters become so well trained that their work looks effortless.

“Being able to prepare today, the saying is, you know, it enables us to be ready for battle tomorrow,” Joannides shared.

Firefighters will continue training Wednesday in the 500 block of Grant and Chandler Streets, and on Thursday in the 1000 block of Jackson Street. Allison said that there shouldn’t be any impacts other than smoke in the area.