Illinois Fire Departments responded to over 1.5 millions incidents in 2024 alone, and nearly 38,000 of those calls were fire related. In Central Illinois and across the state, structure fires are generally caused by heating, cooking, candles, and issues with electricity. While fires vary in size and severity, training of our firefighters for any situation is key. Kyle Anderson, Captain of the Pana Fire Department, tells about his career, how he became interested, training of local firefighters, and more. Anderson starts by sharing how he came to be a volunteer.

Anderson explains that while Pana Fire Department is volunteer, they are held to the same standard of training as a department equipped with full-time firefighters.

What types of training are required? Anderson details the various types of training required of them.

The Pana Fire Department wants to be well-rounded in the buildings and setups they will practice in. Anderson gives an idea as to where the training will take place.

For more information on the Pana Fire Department, visit www.cityofpana.org.

Kyle Anderson appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show as part of the WTIM First Responders Tour stop at the Pana Fire Department.