The Elgin Community College Center for Emergency Services is hosting a community open house and touch-a-truck event on Saturday, September 14, at 815 E. Plank Rd., in Burlington, Ill.

This family-friendly event is perfect for anyone interested in ECC’s public safety programs or for those with curious kids. Explore a range of unique emergency-response equipment, including:

• Sitting in a fire engine or patrol car for a photo opportunity
• Watching demonstrations of fire, police, and paramedic gear
• Observing firefighters in training at the burn tower

Weather permitting, the LifeNet helicopter will land at 1 pm and be open for tours. The Illinois State Police will send their K-9 Unit. There will also be food trucks.

“We are excited to open our world up to the community so they can see what ECC’s Center for Emergency Services is all about,” said Ronald S. Two Bulls, senior director of academic programming and public safety training. “Our dedicated staff, successful programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and our multiple fire and police department partners are here to showcase what a career in emergency services really looks like and how we are dedicated to our communities.”

The first part of the event will begin with an informational session from 10 to 11 am for those interested in learning more about a career as a first responder. The session will showcase first-responder programs at ECC, and advisors will be on hand to help those interested explore degrees in emergency services and careers in public safety, along with a tour of the facilities. 

Those interested in the information session (10 to 11 am) must RSVP at elgin.edu/ces to ensure enough seats and materials are available. The open house will run from 11 am to 2 pm. No RSVP is required for this portion of the event. 

Enrollment in ECC’s Center for Emergency Services and Fire Science Safety programs has grown significantly in the past two years, rising by 34% in five years. 

In November 2023, the Municipal Training Academy was formally launched at the ECC Center for Emergency Services. The academy has expanded the center’s role to accommodate municipal organizations in their education and training needs. Courses in all disciplines of local government administration and public safety are now offered. This expansion continues ECC’s role of serving the community and the CES’s mission to make it the premier emergency service training entity in Illinois.

For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Touch-A-Truck Events.