Pictured left to right: Captain Scott Pascu of the Akron OH Fire Department, Chief Ken Farmer National Fire Academy Education, Training and Partnership Branch, IFSI E-Learning Program Director Richie Valenta
Rich Valenta, E-Learning Program Director for the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) was honored with the “J Faherty Casey Award” for Region V. It was presented by the Training Resource and Data Exchange (TRADE) group of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The Award is given to those who best exemplify the core values of excellence in fire service, education, training, sharing of resources, and dedication to the development of human capacities in the U.S. fire service. TRADE established the award to honor J. Faherty “Jim” Casey, the father of the TRADE concept whose efforts transformed TRADE from a concept to reality. Award winners exhibit those skills and qualities that Casey demonstrated in concert with colleagues nationwide. Casey served as Deputy Superintendent of the National Fire Academy for many years and coordinated the activities of its field training division.
Rich Valenta serves as Program Director for IFSI’s delivery of more than 15 online classes. He oversees class and program development and manages the delivery of those classes. Prior to joining IFSI, Rich served on the Carol Stream Fire District, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant. He has made presentations about electronic class development and delivery at the National Fire Academy and various eLearning seminars. He represents IFSI at the National Fire Academy for the TRADE and FESHE organizations.
The Illinois Fire Service Institute is the statutory State Fire Academy for Illinois. In addition to training provided at its Champaign campus, the Institute offers one-day hands-on classes for fire departments at Regional Training Centers and local fire stations across the State. The mission of the Illinois Fire Service Institute is to help firefighters do their work through training, education, information, and research.
For more information about the Institute, call 217-333-3800.
