Chapter 5

1. Chapter 5 Implementing Training and Certification Standards 5-1

2. Introduction • Familiarity with the process used to hire career firefighters • Not anything like it was in the old days • Many applicants have all their certifications • Many applicants may have a college degree 5-2

3. Life Safety Initiative 5 Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform 5-3

4. Life Safety Initiative 5 OPPOSING CONCEPTS • Standards of care • Chain of survival (AHA) • Standard of care vs. chain of survival • What about firefighting? 5-4

5. Life Safety Initiative 5 HOW WE GOT HERE • Political issues • Directly affect fire and emergency services • Vast differences is state training processes • States make changes fairly often • Based on governing bodies Cont. 5-5

6. Life Safety Initiative 5 HOW WE GOT HERE • After initial training? • Drills vary by department • Variables in education and training • No two states are equivalent • Nonstandard responses to emergencies 5-6

7. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Initial training requirements • Learning domains • Cognitive • Psychomotor • Affective Cont. Courtesy of Concord Fire Department 5-7

8. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Key action verbs • Remembering • Understanding • Applying • Analyzing • Evaluating • Creating Cont. 5-8

9. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • NFPA standards • Knowledge • Skills • JPRs • Resources Cont. 5-9

10. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Certification requirements • Definition • Tested by an accredited examining body • Career firefighter basic training • Volunteer firefighter basic training Cont. 5-10

11. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • In-service training requirements • Overview • Takes place on the job • Ranges from lectures to hands-on • Departments have own requirements for drills • Practice and prepare Cont. 5-11

12. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Common skills • High-frequency and low-risk • Commonly practiced • Target hazards • Low-frequency and high-risk • Natural disasters Cont. Courtesy of Concord Fire Department 5-12

13. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Funding issues • Could result in deficient training • Elimination of some travel • Must justify to political leaders • Positions cut in paid departments Cont. 5-13

14. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Accreditation • Overview • International Fire Service Accreditation Congress • National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NBFSPQ, or Pro Board) • In 2010 offered accreditation for 72 levels of 16 NFPA standards Cont. 5-14

15. Life Safety Initiative 5 EVALUATING WHERE WE ARE • Higher educational requirements • Business associations • Physical ability testing • Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) • Pass/fail • Rarely accepted outside respective area 5-15

16. Life Safety Initiative 5 ESTABLISHING WHERE WE SHOULD BE • Recertification requirements • FESHE model • Model for future training • Peer driven • Total package of training and education • Becoming an industry standard Cont. Courtesy of John Blauch 5-16

17. Life Safety Initiative 5 ESTABLISHING WHERE WE SHOULD BE Cont. Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 5-17

18. Life Safety Initiative 5 ESTABLISHING WHERE WE SHOULD BE • Tiered training • Specific levels within a certification • Credentialing • Presidential Directive 12 • First responder authentication credentials 5-18

19. Summary • Improving safety is a challenge • Should establish minimum training and certification standards • A career ladder has been developed • Standard certification and the integration of higher education is encompassed • Standard credentialing, certification, and recertification would provide the opportunity for safety to be interwoven into all aspects of training 5-19