On Friday, March 17 recruits Michael Lynch (EMT) and Dan Leszka (Paramedic) along with 25 other recruits from other Illinois fire departments graduated from the NIPSTA Fire Academy. Chief Smith and Battalion Chief Oeltgen attended along with their families. Mike’s father is retired Glenview LT Michael Lynch. These two men endured nine weeks and more than 400 hours of intense, physical training to be qualified as firefighters. The two recruits will begin a detailed week-long orientation to the operations specific to the PHFD and then be assigned to a shift.

The PHFD is one of the charter members who formed NIPSTA – the Northeastern IL Public Safety Training Academy – back in 2001. The academy has conducted 31 programs and graduated more than 600 firefighters. For more information about the fire academy go to http://www.nipsta.org/academy/index.aspx

For information about how to become a PHFD firefighter, go to http://www.phfire.com/content/parttime/