The Sycamore City Council gave unanimous approval for the Sycamore Fire Department to donate its 2002 ambulance to the Indian Valley Vocational Center in Sandwich. IVVC trains high school students in a number of disciplines such as fire science, emergency medical technician, auto mechanics, and culinary arts.  The center prepares students for careers in these fields with training and assisting them in attaining certifications, so they are better prepared to enter their chosen fields.

The ambulance being donated is 22 years old and has extensive mechanical issues that would make it difficult to sell.  Once the ambulance is delivered to IVVC, the mechanic students will repair it to working order.  It will then become a teaching prop for the EMT students to experience providing emergency care in the back of a moving ambulance as opposed to in a classroom.

Once the students complete their training with IVVC, they can apply to join Sycamore Fire Department’s Apprenticeship Program where they will experience living in a fire station, responding to calls, and furthering their education in fire and EMS.  This further prepares young people for careers in the Fire Service and helps Sycamore Fire Department recruit future employees.

Sycamore Fire Chief Bart Gilmore stated, “IVVC operates a very robust Fire and EMS program led by Ashton King and Wes Kairis, that provides unique learning opportunities to young people to help them decide if this field of work is for them.  The students not only learn in a classroom, but the school uses training props like SCBA mazes, a smoke house, and now this ambulance.  They recently held “interviews” with industry professionals to better prepare the students for one of the more stressful aspects of the hiring process.  Sycamore Fire Department is pleased that we are able to provide this training tool to such a beneficial program in this county.”

The ambulance is anticipated to be delivered to IVVC in the coming days.