Sometimes ignorance really is bliss ...

I spent the weekend at Charleston in Senior officer's training provided by the Illinois State Fire Chiefs Association

Sometimes ignorance really  is bliss ... We looked at state requirements, new codes rules and regulations, standard operating practices, on and on.  Even spent a few hours listening to and talking with lawyers.

We've always operated under the premise of we are doing what we can to work toward compliance.  Problem is, the bar keeps getting raised higher out of our reach.  I don't think a career department paying full time firefighters can realistically meet all the standards for training and education.  Well, they could, but they wouldn't have anytime left to fight fires.

Learned other interesting things, like if I drive my truck in Chicago I'll probably be arrested.  I would have to remove my blue light to drive it in Chicago.  Oh well...

But it was a good school.  Learned a lot, was exposed to even more.  Got some new resources to use.  Met some good people.  Folks drove from Effingham, Blue Mound, Peoria, just outside of Chicago, and of course Mattoon and Charleston to be there.

The instructors were first rate as well.  When you get guys like Bob Graham

who is internationally known and travels all over the world doing fire training or Greg Render

from Signal Hill at Belleville

teaching it HAS to be good.

I don't want to leave Pat, John, Marilyn, or anyone out,  I'm just out of space and time to include everyone.

We spent a lot of time on FOIA stuff,  which is good since I am the FOIA officer for both the Fire Dept and Walnut Prairie Cemetery.  That gets scary real quick, too.