Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal

The Illinois Society of Fire Service Instructors is accepting nominations for the 2024 Instructor of the Year award. Make your nomination today! Nominate a deserving individual, who promotes education, training, and leadership.

Deadline for nominations is August 9!

Each year Camp I Am Me presents awards to nominated individuals, groups, firefighters, life safety educators, and others for their tremendous efforts in promoting fire safety and burn prevention with their given community. Award recipients are highlighted at the annual Fire Prevention Week Luncheon, held in October. Below is the criteria for each award category:

•  Corporate Responsibility Award
•  Life Safety Award
•  Special Recognition Award
•  Wayne Luecht Memorial Award

Nominations may be submitted at any time, but must be received no later than August 15th to be considered for the current year.

National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) is in the testing phase.

NERIS will empower the fire and emergency medical services community by providing reliable analytics to support enhanced preparedness, prevention and response to all-hazard incidents, wildland urban interface events, Community Risk Reduction efforts, climate change threats and associated resilience and mitigation efforts, and future pandemic emergency response resource preparedness.

Pools are a popular summer destination for people to beat the heat, but they can pose some hidden dangers. The number of residential pools has increased over recent years raising the risk for accidental drownings meaning homeowners and parents need be extra vigilant to protect kids who have access to the water. 

Every year in the United States there are an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings—that is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day and 8,000 nonfatal drownings—that is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Statistics from the American Red Cross show a four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities, and that 75 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets. Click the link below for more tips to safely enjoy the summer months on the water. 

July is the peak month for grill fires followed by June, May and August.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), reports around 64% of U.S. households own at least one outdoor BBQ, grill or smoker. Gas grills contribute to a higher number of fires than charcoal grills. The NFPA reports 61% of households own a gas grill. On average, 10,200 home fires are started by a grill each year. In 2017-2021, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 11,421 home fires involving grills, hibachis, or barbecues per year, including an average of 5,763 structure fires and 5,659 outside or unclassified fires. During the same time, an average of 22,155 patients per year went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills. Nearly half (10,342 or 47%) of the injuries were thermal burns, including both burns from fire and from contact with hot objects.