Four Sauk Valley fire departments are taking part in Calm the Chaos fireground command training as part of an ongoing effort to standardize leadership and improve emergency response.

For the past two years, the Sterling, Dixon City, Dixon Rural, and Rock Falls fire departments have worked to align their command structures, allowing leaders to take over seamlessly during major calls. This training is designed to strengthen the departments’ long-standing mutual-aid agreements, under which they automatically respond to each other’s structure fires and the first arriving chief assumes command, regardless of jurisdiction.

“It ensures all four departments follow the same procedures and safety protocols when they respond together,” Dixon Rural Fire Chief Dustin Dahlstrom said.

The training begins with a 32-hour online course, featuring more than 100 simulations of command incidents. Over the weekend of Sept. 20-21, members participated in the two-day Mastering Fireground Command: Calm the Chaos operations-level workshop, which combines classroom discussion with hands-on simulations of residential, commercial, and mass-casualty incidents. The course emphasizes rapid size-ups, clear communication, and consistent use of the incident command system to improve safety and efficiency on the fireground.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Chief Anthony Kastros (center) speaks with firefighters Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Kastros has been leading a training session with local departments to standardize leadership and improve emergency response. (Alex T. Paschal)

The training also covers the NIOSH Five Points, a set of factors the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has identified as contributing to firefighter line-of-duty deaths: improper risk assessment, lack of incident command, lack of accountability, inadequate communications, and failure to follow standard operating procedures.

“Our goal with this Mastering Fireground Command is if we are starting to get out of alignment, and some things do always happen because there are very dynamic situations in the fireground... Is how we get this back on track before they all come together and something tragic happens,” Dahlstrom said. “That’s the main goal behind this, to keep that from happening.”

From Sept. 22-24, department members advanced to the three-day Train the Trainer workshop, preparing officers to instruct their own crews using a standardized, nationally recognized command system. The program includes scenario-based exercises covering engine operations, search-and-rescue, ventilation, and victim management, along with customized lesson plans, tactical worksheets, and video simulations to ensure departments can continue training internally.

Rock Falls Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Sommers said that all the departments train their firefighters on command structure from the beginning of their careers, even if they do not plan to serve in a leadership role in the near future.

“What’s good about this is it’s taking that training we’re already doing, but it’s making it more consistent,” Sommers said. “Firefighters, officers, and chiefs through all four departments are going to be teaching and learning the same curriculum. So hopefully in 10 to 15 years from now, they’re still going to be teaching it basically the same way so that it creates consistency and is essentially just good succession planning.”

Sommers said one of the main reasons the four departments have been pushing for command structure uniformity is the change in leadership they have all experienced over the last few years.

Dahlstrom, a 12-year member of Dixon Rural, officially became chief on Jan. 16, 2024, following Sid Aurand’s retirement. Ken Wolf took over as Rock Falls fire chief on Feb. 1, 2024, succeeding Cris Bouwens. Earlier this year, David Northcutt was appointed chief of the Sterling Fire Department, while Ryan Buskohl has served as Dixon City fire chief since 2019.

“Every one of the departments has someone new in the administrative roles, and it was a really good opportunity for all of us to sit down together and decide what’s the most efficient and safe way to operate,” Sommers said. “Creating that consistency just makes the fire ground that much safer because everybody’s operating under the same scope as everybody else.”

Sterling Deputy Chief Scott Melton said the training also ensures consistency at the crew level.

“The crews could be all from one town or a mix of departments, but they need to be interchangeable,” Melton said. “Everyone has to understand what’s being asked and be able to communicate clearly back and forth. You can only communicate effectively when everyone understands the same language, and that’s what this training ensures.”

Sommers added that the benefits extend far beyond the departments themselves.

“It’s really a benefit for the citizens,” Sommers said. “That seamless transition of command at the top carries down to the crews operating on the fire, making them more efficient and effective. Fires get extinguished faster, rescues happen more quickly, and overall operations run more smoothly. When there’s consistency at the top, it trickles down through all the ranks and strengthens the entire response.”

The five days of training came with a price tag of $58,000, which was split among the four departments. Northcutt said the cost covered online slots for all participants, the two-day operations-level workshop, and the three-day Train the Trainer program.

“Anyone who wants to help donate toward the cost of this great program can do so through any one of the departments, and it will help offset some of the expenses,” Northcutt said.