DUANE BALES
Program Director, Vehicle/Machinery Extrication
Illinois Fire Service Institute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In early 2002, with 26 years of fire department experience under his belt, Duane Bales retired as a shift commander with the Collinsville Fire Department, Collinsville, Ill.

More than a decade before his retirement, he had been hired by the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute to be part of their field staff. After retiring from Collinsville, the Institute promoted him to program director for the vehicle/machinery extrication program. This area provides training to fire departments in Illinois and surrounding states in basic and advanced extrication, new car construction, hybrid car training, and bus and large truck extrication.

Today, Bales teaches auto extrication and basic firefighting skills to fire departments throughout Illinois. He has also been a judge with the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee (TERC), which holds vehicle extrication competitions throughout the United States and Canada. Bales also served as vice-chairman of TERC for three years.