PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A member of the Peoria Fire Department was named as the instructor of the year.
Division Chief of Training Roland Tenley received the George D. Post Instructor of the Year award, which is given to a trainer who has gone above and beyond when it comes to teaching new firefighters.
The award was given by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
Tenley said it’s a humbling experience to receive such a prestigious award.
“To be able to get this award from them, it’s a great honor for me and again it’s very humbling because it’s not something I ever expected, I appreciate it,” he said.
Peoria’s Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger spoke about Tenley and said he couldn’t think of a more deserving person to receive the award.
“He’s always been dedicated to training, he’s always been dedicated to education whether that’s E-M-S or the fire side, I know that me personally, I’ve learned a lot from Roland out on the streets and he was always just being creative, challenging himself and it really kind of affected everyone around him in a positive way. So to be honest with you, this really doesn’t surprise me at all,” the chief said.
He said they’ll be adding new training equipment and additional construction to the training annex.
