Training Center
Sprinkler Fitters Local 281, U.A. Training Center is located at 11900 South Laramie Avenue, Alsip, Illinois 60803.
The Training Center covers all aspects of commercial, industrial and residential fire protection, including installation, inspection, testing, repair and maintenance of all fire protection systems. In April 2019, the Training Center was renamed as The Bill Dalton Training Center after the completion of the major renovation.
The Bill Dalton Training Center equipment includes two fire pumps that can run in series or independently. The fire pumps supply water pressure for 50 valve stations on a live header. The header has examples of wet, dry, deluge, pre-action and foam induction valves from every major manufacturer in the fire protection industry.
Below is a partial list of equipment in the Training Center:
- 10-ton overhead crane
- Diesel fire pump assembly
- 2 story wood frame-house for residential training
- 8600 gallon reservoir tank
- 250 GPM VIP
- 500 GPM split-case horizontal
- Torna Tech fire pump controller
- Eaton fire pump controller
- Hosemonster's plus hoses
- Hosemonsters in-line flow tester
- (30) dry valve stations
- (12) Pre-action/deluge valves
- (3) Alarm check; (1) with foam actuator
- (1) AGF riser manifold
- (4) Total Pac's
- (3) Flow test cells
- Bermad pressure reducing valve
- Gerand Flow Meter
The Training Center has two large classrooms and two additional computer labs. The Training Center has produced multiple Apprentice State Champions and also serves for continuing journeyman training.
The Sprinkler Fitters Local 281, U.A. Training Center is a training site for Chicago and surrounding suburban fire departments. The training center cooperates with the neighboring Alsip Fire Department for sprinkler burn demonstrations.
The training center has hosted 23 consecutive Open Houses for Sprinkler Fitters Local 281, U.A. Members and their families.
Training For The Future
No other organization serves the training needs of the sprinkler fitting industry like the United Association. For over a century, the UA has been training the most highly-qualified workers in the United States and Canada.
Over the past several decades, the United Association's training programs have produced a stable, skilled workforce responsible for building and maintaining piping systems in the various industrial and residential facilities that make up the North American landscape.
No one can match the commitment or investment. The UA spends over $250 million annually on training programs efforts involving approximately 100,000 Journeymen and Apprentices in over 400 local training facilities at any given time.
If the United Association wanted to select the area which best reflects this commitment to the training and excellence produced, it could well look to the Sprinkler Fitters of Chicagoland. The Sprinkler Fitters of Local 281 train out of a state-of-art facility which produces the best journeymen in the industry.
In addition to our five-year apprenticeship programs, Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 offers continuing education opportunity that includes journeymen training and certification, as well as an associate’s degree program.
