Local fire departments conduct training exercises at Midwestern U.

Midwestern University partnered with the Downers Grove Fire Department and several other local fire departments to offer a variety of training opportunities using an unoccupied building on campus. The crews used the 45,000 square-foot Prabhu Hall to practice simulated fire calls, victim searches, lost or separated firefighter protocols, and other drills. A smoke simulator and specialized equipment was used throughout the training.

“Midwestern University provided us an excellent opportunity to practice for a variety of situations,” said Matt Daly, Battalion Chief of Training and Safety for the Downers Grove Fire Department. “It's very rare that we get to use a building of that size and we are very thankful to the University because they came to us and asked us if we wanted to use it.”

The training lasted several weeks and included crews from Downers Grove, Darien, Woodridge, Lisle, Oak Brook, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, and Lombard. The various fire departments brought ladder trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles to campus as part of the training exercises.