Seminars

North American Modern Building Alliance 

The North American Modern Building Alliance, or NAMBA is offering a limited number of scholarships for building officials to attend our 2026 Building Fire Safety Symposium, taking place September 9–10 in Rosemont, Illinois.

 NAMBA is an industry organization of the American Chemistry Council focused on education and technical dialogue around building fire safety, particularly as it relates to modern construction, code compliance, and the safe use of building materials and assemblies. Our members include companies and stakeholders involved in the building and construction sector, including manufacturers of plastic building materials used in modern buildings.

The Building Fire Safety Symposium is a smaller event designed to encourage meaningful discussion across these groups. The program is organized around the five common principles of fire safety:

• Prevention
• Detection and Communication
• Occupant Protection
• Containment / Compartmentation
• Extinguishment

No Charge

Core Chapters of NFPA 101

Location:   Elk Grove Village, 75 Turner Ave., Elk Grove Village IL  

Description:

This class will cover the Core Chapters (Chapters 1-10) of NFPA 101 (2015 ed) as adopted by the OSFM. This will include how NFPA 101 is used throughout Illinois, such as how this adoption is affected by home rule and non-home rule municipalities and in state licensed and state buildings. .

Instructor:

Catherine Stashak is a fire protection engineer having worked with OSFM for 19-1/2 years. She graduated from IIT with a B.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering and an MBA. She retired from the Des Plaines Fire Department as a firefighter/inspector. Catherine serves on NFPA Technical Committees, the NFPA Standards Council, UL Standards Technical Panels, CANENA working groups (WG) related to refrigeration, and on WGs for the ICC Fire Code Advisory Committee.

COST:  

No Charge

AI Governance and the Future of the Fire Prevention Bureau Industry 

9 am – noon 

Location:  Elk Grove Village, 75 Turner Ave., Elk Grove Village IL  

Description 

Artificial Intelligence has rapidly entered the workplace, often faster than fire departments and fire prevention bureaus realize. Employees are already using AI tools, whether leadership has formally approved them or not. For fire inspectors, departments and districts, this creates new challenges involving data security, compliance, public trust, records management, operational continuity, and the responsible use of emerging technology. 

In this session, fire inspectors, plan examiners, public education offers as well as firefighters and paramedics will learn practical steps to govern AI responsibly while enabling personnel to work more efficiently. Topics include AI policy development, auditing where and how AI is used in your organization today and selecting appropriate AI tools to use. This prepares you for a long-term strategy for using AI. 

BIO 

Jeff Reiter is the founder and CEO of RWK IT Services, a B2B cybersecurity and IT services firm. He has served over 2,000 clients and brings deep experience as a software developer, systems/network architect, and cybersecurity officer. RWK actively supports local government agencies and has earned over 70 five-star Google reviews. Jeff serves on the Plan Commission for Monee Township in Will County, giving him unique insight into township government from both inside and out. His book, The Cyber Playbook, is an Amazon bestseller. Jeff has been featured in Information Week, MSP Success, and RWK Chicago Authority magazine. 

COST:  No Charge

Feb 2026 Site Plan Review

Nov 2025 Did You Know

Feb 2025 Fireworks and Special Events

Nov 2025 Did You Know

Jan 2024 Fire Alarm Did You Know. 

Contact the Office to get the seminar they would like. 

COST:  

$30 each for IFIA members
$50 each for Non-Members