First Student honored for supporting fire academy
The school bus contractor receives a 2013 Appreciation Award from the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute for donating retired school buses to the institute for training. The institute provides firefighters throughout the world with training in settings that replicate real-life situations.

Jim Ring (center) accepts a 2013 Appreciation Award on behalf of First Student from Dennis Spice (left), the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute’s director of corporate relations and development, and John Nichols, the institute’s southwest Illinois regional representative.
CINCINNATI — School bus contractor First Student was recently honored by the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) for supporting its fire academy.
IFSI provides firefighters throughout the world with training in settings that replicate real-life situations. IFSI presented First Student with a 2013 Appreciation Award for donating retired school buses to the institute for training.
“We are pleased to be recognized by the institute,” said Jim Ring, First Student area general manager. “The safety and security of the students we transport to and from school each day is our core value, and we fully support those organizations [that] strive to ensure the safety of our community.”
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