Training & Specialty Teams
Training Division
The primary mission of the PFPD Training Division is to provide ongoing training, education, and certification to fire service personnel — ensuring a competent, efficient, and effective emergency response organization.
Our members participate in weekly training drills covering a wide range of disciplines. Beyond weekly drills, personnel attend classes and seminars through colleges, professional organizations, other departments, and specialized institutions including the Illinois Fire Service Institute and the National Fire Academy.
Headquarters Training Facility
The District operates a dedicated training facility at the Headquarters campus on 135th Street. The facility supports live fire training, firefighting tactics, search and rescue of trapped occupants, technical rescue scenarios, and hazardous materials training.
The training tower allows crews to drill in realistic conditions year-round — continually building the operational effectiveness, safety, and professional development of PFPD members.
Specialty teams
PFPD maintains three specialty teams that respond to incidents requiring specialized rescue equipment and training. Members of these teams are required to obtain certifications specific to the emergencies they will encounter.
Hazardous Materials Team
The Plainfield Hazardous Materials Team is a member of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division 15 Hazardous Materials Team, alongside members from Troy FPD, Elwood FPD, the Will County Emergency Management Agency, and other Division 15 fire departments.
Team Certifications
Decon 15
PFPD staffs and responds with the MABAS 15 Decontamination Vehicle, housed at a PFPD station. Decon 15 serves as a mobile decontamination/shower unit and responds to incidents within Plainfield, surrounding fire districts, and statewide — deploying to hazardous materials incidents, terrorism incidents, and natural disasters as requested. The vehicle carries reference materials, science manuals, and specialized equipment to assist in mitigation. The MABAS 15 Hazardous Materials Team is also equipped with several additional vehicles and assets for incident management.
Water Rescue Team
The Plainfield Water Rescue Team has grown from a basic dive team founded in 1984 into a highly trained, multi-disciplined water rescue team. Members have committed countless hours to certifications and continuing education, and the team regularly brings in top-level instructors from across the country to stay current with best practices.
The team is a member of the MABAS 15 Water Rescue Team and is recognized as a Class A Water Rescue Team within the State of Illinois.
Team Certifications
Response Capabilities
The variety of water environments in the area — lakes, rivers, ponds, and drainage ditches — means the team must be prepared for several types of water rescue situations:
Technical Rescue Team (TRT)
The Technical Rescue Team responds to specialized rescue incidents involving structural collapse, trench rescue, confined space rescue, and high-angle rescue. Examples include stabilizing a building collapse to conduct search and rescue, or rescuing a worker on a cell tower or water tower who needs medical assistance.
PFPD's TRT works in cooperation with the MABAS Division 15 TRT — a combined team of members from multiple surrounding agencies providing rescue services across a geographic area of approximately 1,000 square miles. The team trains regularly to keep current on specialized rescue skills and certifications.
Response Disciplines
Special events team
In addition to everyday fire and EMS response, Plainfield FPD Firefighter/Paramedics provide stand-by EMS services at large public gatherings and sporting events within the district. Using a crew-cab Polaris 4×4 and Trek bikes equipped with BLS EMS equipment, paramedics can respond immediately to emergencies in crowds and areas inaccessible to full-size apparatus.
The Plainfield Fire Protection District has provided services for:
