SPRINGFIELD – To diminish the volunteer firefighter shortage Illinois is currently facing, State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced a plan out of the Senate Friday to allow for more people to complete firefighter training.

“The number of volunteer firefighters has been declining for almost a decade,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “This opportunity would give people the chance to get proper firefighter training to become an experienced volunteer in their communities.”

Fire departments across the state have faced a shortage of new recruits and volunteer firefighters in recent years. Senate Bill 1611 would combat these shortages to give people the opportunity to undergo firefighter training courses.

The measure would create the Firefighter Training Leave of Absence Act, which would provide state employees leave from their job to attend firefighter training.

“From administering first aid to maintaining equipment to responding to calls, volunteer firefighters help out our communities tremendously,” said Joyce. “It’s crucial that we are taking action to address this shortage to ensure fire departments have enough people and resources to continue protecting our community.”

Senate Bill 1611 cleared the Senate and will advance to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

KANKAKEE - To help job seekers find employment, State Senator Patrick Joyce is encouraging people to apply for seasonal conservation work at Kankakee River State Park in Bourbonnais.

“As the weather is warming up, we see a need for more workers in our state parks,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “This is a great opportunity for local residents or college students to take advantage of temporary work, while working in a beautiful natural environment.”

Conservation workers perform routine maintenance and custodial duties, such as mowing, landscaping, painting, cleaning, loading and unloading vehicles, cutting firewood and more. Other responsibilities include assisting in preparing locations for hunting and fishing, preparing sites for programs, assisting in the care of cover crops and food plots, maintaining tools and equipment, and performing basic vehicle maintenance.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce co-sponsored a measure that would increase renewable energy procurement and promote environmental conservations by adding a framework to the Illinois Power Agency Act.

“Hydropower is a clean and reliable energy source that has the potential to help Illinois meet its renewable energy goals,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “However, we need to make sure that we are not encouraging the construction of new dams, because this can lead to negative impacts on our environment and natural resources.”

Under this legislation, the Illinois Power Agency would be required to procure a percentage of its renewable energy credits from hydropower dams. This would help increase the use of this renewable energy source, while also promoting environmental conservation by using dams that already exist.

This initiative is aimed to support hydropower dams across the state, especially the Kankakee Hydropower Dam and the Wilmington Dam, located in Joyce’s district.

“Renewable energy is critical to protecting our planet,” said Joyce. “This legislation can help increase the use of this clean energy source that also promotes conservation and efforts to protect our environment altogether.”

Senate Bill 1474 passed the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Thursday and awaits further consideration before the full Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced a measure on Wednesday that would bring more fire prevention education to children across the state.

“With the right education, accidental fires are preventable,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “We must provide insight and proper education so children will be knowledgeable about the damage that can come from fires and provide them with the tools to make responsible decisions.”

This legislation would create positions of certified youth firesetter interventionists in the Division of Arson Investigation within the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

These positions would help local authorities in stressing the importance of fire safety. They would conduct firesetter interventions that would work closely with families, schools and other organizations to provide education, support and guidance to children.

”Fire prevention education saves lives,” said Joyce. “By providing targeted intervention and prevention strategies, we can help protect public safety and prevent future incidents of firesetting behavior in our communities.”

Senate Bill 1421 advanced through the Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Committee and awaits further consideration before the full Senate.