Congressman Sorensen Delivers Federal Funding for Firefighter Training in Rockford Region

Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) secured $825,000 to support the construction of a regional training tower in Rock Falls that will serve all fire departments in the area. The tower will allow firefighters to train under realistic conditions, ensuring they are fully prepared to respond to the challenges they’ll face on the scene when seconds matter.

“Our firefighters do amazing work to keep us safe, but in order to have the confidence necessary to battle dangerous fires, they need access to hands-on training that can prepare them to enter and navigate burning buildings,” said Congressman Sorensen. “The new Rock Falls fire training tower will better prepare firefighters across the Rockford region for the extreme environments they must work in, ensuring they are well-prepared to keep themselves and our communities safe when duty calls.”

“The Rock Falls Fire Department is thrilled that funding for the construction of a fire training tower has been approved by Congress after the Community Project Fund request through Congressman Sorensen’s office,” said Kyle B. Sommers, Deputy Fire Chief of the Rock Falls Fire Department. “This training tower will be a centerpiece of the future of our local fire departments, and it will have a positive impact on the fire service in our entire region.  We sincerely thank Congressman Sorensen and his staff for their hard work to secure this funding.”

The funding was secured through the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that was passed as part of the government funding package last week to reopen the government.

Congressman Sorensen requested this funding in partnership with local officials and community leaders as part of the Community Project Funding (CPF) process. This process allows members of Congress to direct funding for critical initiatives in their communities.

While the Congressman voted against the underlying government funding package because it failed to address rising health care costs for his neighbors, he strongly supports this project and helped deliver it by personally requesting it through the CPF process.