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Personnel Standards & Education
About the Division
Division of Personnel Standards and Education (DPSE) is responsible for promoting, encouraging and assisting local governments in improving the levels of education and training standards for local firefighters. DPSE is responsible for the standardization and enhancement in the levels of education and training for firefighters and professionals in Illinois with the highest priorities placed on safety and career advancement. DPSE operates under the mandate of the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act (50 ILCS 740), which provides for the promotion of standards to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. While the certification program is strictly voluntary, the OSFM and DPSE highly encourages local governments to adopt and take part in our firefighter certification programs. Fire Service Outreach is an integral part of DPSE and serves as a point of contact for fire departments and our fire service partners for communication and support. Fire Service Outreach represents the OSFM to increase the agency’s visibility and accessibility and provides resources for fire departments to assist them with their incident reporting and fire safety educational efforts.