CHAPTER THREE - CERTIFICATION TESTING · 3.109: A member department may request an evaluation...

CHAPTER THREE - CERTIFICATION TESTING

INDEX

Section 3.100: Administration

Section 3.200: Testing Process

Section 3.300: Test Security

Section 3.400: Test Validation

Section 3.500: Term of Certification

Section 3.600: Evaluator Requirement Section 3.700 Portfolio Process

Chart 3.1 NFPA Job Performance Requirements

Chart 3.2 Portfolio Review Process

Appendix A: Application for Certification

Appendix B: Test Bank Validation Form

Appendix C: Application Qualifying Deployment

SECTION 3.100: ADMINISTRATION

3.101: The purpose of this policy is to identify the procedures and rules for

conducting certification evaluations.

3.102: All members of the Colorado Metropolitan Certification Board will not

discriminate against anyone because of race, gender, color, national

origin or ancestry, age, religious convictions, veteran status, disability,

political beliefs, sexual orientation or other non-job related criteria.

3.103: Each individual certification program policy shall establish minimum

requirements for participation in the certification process. It shall be the

responsibility of each member department to ensure a candidate

meets the minimum requirements for the specific certification prior to

the administration of the evaluation process.

3.104: Each candidate for certification shall notify the Training Chief of their desire to apply for certification test. The notification must be received

and an Application for Certification (see Appendix A) endorsed and

submitted by the Chief Training Officer of the member department to

the Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the anticipated practical

certification evaluation and at least fifteen (15) days prior to the

anticipated written certification evaluation except as outlined in

3.216 for a re-test.

Candidates requiring special accommodations should provide

appropriate documentation from a licensed health care professional

or other such individual specifying their needs requiring an

accommodation. It is the responsibility of the candidate to submit all

Chapter 3 - Certification Testing Revised 04/22/20

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necessary documentation, which verifies eligibility and any special

needs, to the Chief Training Officer of the member department. The

Board shall consider requests for special accommodations.

The application shall include the following information:

type of certification evaluation requested

number of candidates

department coordinator for the evaluation process

desired location, date, and time for the evaluation process

special accommodations request

Upon receiving the application, and at least two weeks prior to the test

date, the CMCB Director shall provide the Managing Evaluator

the performance evaluation test information, with the exception of any

special accommodation requests that have been approved by the

Board. The Managing Evaluator shall then contact the requesting

department and finalize the plans for the evaluation process.

3.105: The Board shall notify each member department of all scheduled

certification evaluations. The notification shall be provided at least

thirty (30) days prior to the evaluation. The notification shall include

the date, location, time, level of certification. The Chief Training

Officer shall notify all their affected personnel of the evaluation.

3.106: The Managing Evaluator shall coordinate all site requirements with the

appropriate Chief Training Officer. The Managing Evaluator shall

provide a list of all required equipment and materials no more than

seventy-two (72) hours prior to the scheduled performance evaluation.

3.107: All evaluation materials shall be submitted to the CMCB Director bythe Managing Evaluator or assigned Evaluator III no later

than seventy-two (72) hours after the evaluation using the

Evaluation Summary Form.

3.108: The Board shall maintain a record of all evaluation results and

certifications issued for a minimum of six (6) plus the current year

following certification. Release of any information shall be in

accordance with security procedures identified in Section 3.300. The

records shall be kept at a designated site determined by the Board.

The records shall be kept on computer files and on a backup network drive. Only Board members or their designees shall have access to the

files. The Board shall select the most appropriate record keeping

system, which ensures security and ease of use.


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3.109: A member department may request an evaluation process for any certification program. The request shall be made to the Board at

least thirty (30) days in advance. Special accommodation

requests may be considered by the Board. The request shall

include the following information:

type of certification evaluation requested

desired location, date, and time for the evaluation process

3.110: The Board shall provide for at least one (1) certification process review

for each available certification every two (2) years (even years) to ensure their applicability. If a process has not been provided or scheduled for each available certification by September 1st, the Board shall schedule the process(es) and notify the member departments.

SECTION 3.200: TESTING

PROCESS Back to Index

3.201: It is the intent of the Board that all evaluation processes provide an objective evaluation of the candidate's skill and knowledge in relation

to the appropriate adopted performance standard.

3.202: The Evaluator or their designee shall collect and verify all enrollments against the application’s registration roster prior to the beginning of the

evaluation process.

3.203: Effective June 1, 2019, all written exams will be conducted eitherelectronically or hard-copy and referred to herein as, "written". All written exams shall be proctored by a certified Evaluator I, or greater,

as specified in Section 3.600 and Chapter 5. The proctor may not be a

member of any department(s) with members participating in the written

exam process. Any exceptions to this policy are only with Board

approval.

*Member departments may have their own non -sworn, clerical staff

proctor their written exams. The proctor in this case must be a Certified

Evaluator I or greater. Any Certified Evaluator I or greater can proctor from their home agency as long as they are not participating in the sourced material testing.

The CMCB Director shall send the appropriate written exam materials

either electronically or hard-copy to the designated evaluator so that it

is received at one week prior to the test date. If a candidate is absent on the scheduled testing day, the Registration Roster must be marked Excused or Unexcused (refer to Chapter 3, 3.216). The Evaluator will be responsible for notifying the CMCB Director once the written exam is complete. All exam materials will be sent to the Director immediately by email, certified mail or hand delivered. Upon completion of the skills evaluation, the test materials will be sealed and returned directly to the


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CMCB Director through certified mail or hand delivered within seventy-two (72) hours of completing the evaluation, see Written Test Instructions located under, "Forms" on the CMCB website.

A copy of the Scantron answer sheets shall remain with the Training

Chief of the member department. This copy must be destroyed upon

receipt of test materials by the Board Director. These materials shall

include:

Evaluation Summary Form

Application for Certification w/registration roster

Scantron answer sheets

Appeal Forms

Written Candidate Comment Sheet

3.204:

The Chief Training Officer will be responsible for the destruction of written examinations. Destruction of the written examinations will be confirmed by the CMCB Director from email communication. At no time shall any provided testing material be copied without specific approval of the Board Chair or the test originator.

All skills evaluations shall be managed by a Certified Evaluator III asspecified in Section 3.600 and Chapter 5 with the exception of the Fire Officer skills evaluation sheets as specified in Chapter 8. In addition,the Evaluator III shall be assisted by the minimum number of assistant evaluators (see below) . Any assistant evaluator must be a CertifiedEvaluator II, or greater, as specified in Section 3.600 and Chapter 5. An assistant is required for every five (5) candidates, or every skillstation, whichever is greater. All evaluators must meet or exceed the requirements of the level of performance being evaluated. The Board may approve special requests for evaluators possessing special skills or experience. The Evaluator II or III participating in or managing the performance evaluation shall not be a member of the department being evaluated. Any exceptions to this policy are only with Board approval.

**(1) For the Fire Instructor I practical presentations, a member

department may have someone from their own member department

evaluate as long as they are not involved in the training. The evaluator

in this case must be a Certified Evaluator II or greater.



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At the completion of the skills evaluation, all materials will be returned to the CMCB Director or other representative by certified mail or hand-delivered within seventy- two (72) hours of completing the evaluation.

These materials shall include (see Evaluator Packet):

Registration Roster

Random Skill Station selection

Information Sheet Pack Form Test Summary

Evaluator Copies of Skill Sheets

Completed Individual Skill Evaluation Sheets

Evaluator Summary and Comment Sheets

Candidate Comment Sheets

Performance Evaluation Tracking Form

Post-Performance Evaluation Meeting Form

Appeal Forms

Evaluator III Summary Forms

At no time shall any provided testing material be copied without specific

approval of the Board Chair or the test originator.

3.205: Prior to beginning the written exam, the evaluator shall read the directionsfor the exam and/or skills evaluation process to the candidates. The

written instructions shall be read directly from the Written Test

Procedures, or from the Skills Evaluation Procedures (see Evaluator

Packet). It is the responsibility of the evaluator to ensure that every

candidate understands the instructions for the written exam and/or skills evaluation, including time limits.

(2) For the Fire Officer I and II job sheets, a member department mayhave someone from their own department evaluate the job sheets, andfinal approval will be determined by the member’s Training Chief as inaccordance with Chapter 8, Section 8.300.

(3) During Training Academies for new recruits, the evaluator can be amember of the same department, but shall not be the lead instructor for

the topic being evaluated. The evaluator must be a Certified Evaluator II

or greater.


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Time Limits Certifications

10 Questions 15 Minutes Certified Evaluator I

20 Questions 25 Minutes HazMat Awareness

30 Questions 35 Minutes Certified Evaluator II

HazMat Operations

Driver Operator Utility50 Questions 60 Minutes HazMat Awareness (20)

& Operations (30)

Driver Operator Pumper

Driver Operator Aerial

Fire Instructor I

100 Questions 120 Minutes HazMat Technician

Firefighter I

Firefighter II

Fire Officer I

Fire Officer II

3.206: The Evaluator III shall be responsible for coordinating and managing the times and scheduling of all performance tests and processes. The

evaluator shall ensure that all guidelines and instructions for specific

written and performance evaluations are followed by all assistant evaluators and candidates. In the case of performance evaluations, the

managing evaluator is responsible for ensuring the safety of each

candidate during the process. No operation shall be conducted which

unreasonably compromises the safety of a candidate.

3.207: Any candidate caught cheating, duplicating testing materials, or deliberately breaking any safety regulation shall be immediately

removed from the certification process, resulting in failure of the

process. The Evaluator III shall document the incident on the

Evaluation Summary Form and notify the Board. The Evaluator III shall

notify the candidate's Program Coordinator and/or Chief Training

Officer immediately following the incident.


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The Evaluator I will report any concerns involving test security or

integrity to the CMCB Director. The CMCB Director will notify the

Board Chair of the reported concerns. The Board Chair will determine

the scope of the investigation needed and report findings to the Board

of Directors.

3.208: Any candidate disqualified due to cheating, duplicating testing

materials, violation of safety regulations, or any unexcused absence

before or during the certification process shall wait twelve (12)

months before being able to reapply for that program. This may

preclude them from participating in other CMCB certification

programs for this same 12-month period. The candidate shall follow

the application process outlined in Section 3.100. Refer to the

individual certification program policies for more information.

3.209: It shall be the responsibility of the Evaluator III to ensure the skills evaluation process is prepared prior to the scheduled start time.

This preparation includes a pre-evaluation meeting with all assistant

evaluators and representatives from the evaluation site. The pre-

evaluation meeting shall be held no later than one hour prior to start

time for the evaluation. Also, the Evaluator III shall conduct a post-

evaluation meeting to discuss the evaluation process. All assistant

evaluators shall attend the meeting. Any recommendations shall be

included with the Evaluation Summary Form.

3.210: During all skills evaluations, individual stations shall be placed,if feasible, so that it is not possible for candidates to view any station other than the one at which they are being evaluated. Candidates shall be managed so that discussion of the evaluation process with other candidates is not possible. The Evaluator III shall ensure that at alltimes the confidentiality of the evaluation process is maintained. During skills evaluations, the Evaluator III has the authority to modifytest stations due to weather, safety, or scheduling concerns. The Evaluator III is required to obtain approval from either the Chair or Vice Chair of the Board prior to making modifications to the testing process and/or test stations. In the event of inclement weather, candidates may be required to remain on site for up to two hours to allow for favorable weather changes.

The candidate shall obtain a Pass or a Satisfactory Completion on the

skills evaluation to be eligible for the CMCB certification they are

testing for.

3.211: During all written evaluations, seating shall be arranged to ensure

security of the evaluation. During the evaluation, discussion

between candidates shall not be allowed.


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3.212: The candidates shall not be allowed to review any portion of the written exam or possess any testing materials following the exam. The

evaluator shall ensure that the security of all materials is maintained

(Refer to Section 3.300).

3.213: The candidate shall obtain a minimum score of 80% on the examination

to be eligible for the CMCB certification they are testing for. All components of certification requirements must be attained within the previous two (2) years including the training program with the exception of Qualifying Military Deployment. Qualifying Military Deployment will be recognized by CMCB through the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). CMCB will grant the candidate a suspended term to complete all areas of certification. The suspended term will begin on the date of the candidate's deployment and will be suspended until the candidate returns from active duty. An Application for Qualifying Military Deployment must be filled out prior to the candidate's departure and will be approved or denied submitted by the requesting agency's Training Chief (see Appendix C). All records will be kept on file for six (6) plus the current year.

3.214: The Board may approve applications requesting a Certificate of Recognition for any candidate who holds a valid current certification

from ProBoard or IFSAC. The CMCB certification issued under this

circumstance shall be valid as long as the person is an employee in

good standing with one of the member departments. Valid

certifications must meet the following requirements:

Obtained through an accredited written exam and practical

evaluation process

Issued within the current or previous NFPA cycles for the NFPA

Standard which they are seeking recognition for Considerations outside of NFPA cycle are subject to Board approval

Candidate must be a current member in good standing with a

member department

A CMCB Certificate of Recognition is not a national certification and

will not bear the ProBoard seal. Recognition will serve as eligibility to

test within the CMCB certification system at the candidate’s current

level or advance to the next highest level of certification. Application fees will apply. See Test Charges under Board Information.The Board shall review each application for Recognition and provide

a decision at regularly scheduled Board meetings.

3.215: Each member department of the Colorado Metropolitan Certification

Board may recommend specific personnel to receive a CMCB Certificate of Compliance, provided they meet criteria set forth in this policy.

Considerations for expired certifications are subject to Board approval


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Submit to the CMCB Director a CMCB Application for Certification requesting a Certificate of Compliance.Be a full-time, permanent employee with a CMCB member department.Currently occupy the position to which the commensurate certification applies.Have successfully completed at least one full year in the position to which the commensurate certification applies.Fulfilled all departmental requirements to test for and be promoted to their current position.For Fire Officer III, the candidate must provide a resume.

3.216: Excused absences will be approved or denied by the requesting

agency’s Training Chief. Any unexcused absence during a scheduled written test will result in a forfeit of that attempt, and will progress to the criteria of the next attempt. Except in the case of a challenged test, candidates failing an initial test may make application to re-test. From the initial test date, applications to re-test may be made immediately, and must be made within thirty (30) days, and a re -test must be taken within ninety (90) days. Failure to meet the 30- or 90-day established deadlines will result in forfeiture of re-test privileges, and the candidate must then wait six months before re-applying to test. If a candidate fails a retest, they must receive authorization from their Training Chief. This endorsement from the Training Chief allows a candidate to retest no sooner than 30 days, not toexceed six months. With the Chief Training Officer and CMCB Director's approval, a time frame reduction may be authorized per organizational need. In the event that a candidate fails the third test, the candidate will be required to repeat the complete training program and certification process as listed in 3.213 and 3.216. A challenged test (Fire Instructor I only - see Section 9.302-I and 9.302-I) is a request to bypass a required training program and must be approved by the Training Chief. Candidates who have failed a challenged test are then required to complete all coursework otherwise required for the certification being sought.

Certificates of Compliance shall only be issued upon approval of the CMCB Board. The CMCB Board will issue a decision on a request for a Certificate of Compliance within sixty (60) days of receiving a formal request. A request for Certificate of Compliance will only be considered if the specific certification process was not a requirement of the member department at the time the candidate tested for the position they now hold.

A Certificate of Compliance is not a national certification and will not bear the NBPQS (Pro Board) logo, but would enable employees to advance to the next level of the certification process. In order to be considered for a Certificate of Compliance, a candidate must:

3.217: CMCB will segregate the scoring for the combined certifications. For example, HazMat Awareness/Operations certification will have the written test scores separated between awareness level and operations level.

3.218: Each member department of CMCB may request a reprint of any certification. The request must be made on the Application for Certification. Application fees will apply. See Test Charges under Board Information.

Application fees will apply. See Test Charges under Board Information.


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3.302: Any breach of security shall be immediately reported to the Board. The information shall include the following:

the nature of incident

the location

the certification program

the candidate(s) involved

the managing evaluator

the action taken by evaluator or Board representative

In addition, the incident shall be documented in writing and

submitted with the Evaluation Summary Form.

3.303: A validated test bank for each certification program shall be maintained at a location(s) approved by the Board. The test bank shall only be accessible to the CMCB Director and Managing Evaluator. TheCMCB Director and Managing Evaluator shall establish a securityprocedure including codes, passwords, locks, etc. which ensure only approved access to the test bank and other testing materials. The testbank shall be used with Questionmark. A written exam shall only beproduced by either the CMCB Director or the Managing Evaluator, atthe administrative office location, for a scheduled certification process, and upon receiving written permission and direction by the Board.

3.304: A copy of each form of written exam and score will be kept in a secured file for six (6) plus the current year following an evaluation

process at a location approved by the Board. The exam materials will

be destroyed under the supervision of the Board at the end of six (6)

plus the current year following the evaluation process.

3.305: Records of each candidate's performance on the written exam, skills evaluations, or portfolio shall be maintained for six (6) plus the current year following the evaluation process at a location approved

by the Board. The following information shall be maintained:

name of candidate date of evaluation written exam score skills evaluation score

date of any retest results of any retest

portfolio review

3.301: It is the intent of the Board that security of all evaluation processes is of the highest priority. Every effort shall be taken by the Board and its

designees to ensure the security of all evaluation processes and evaluation materials.

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SECTION 3.300: TEST SECURITY


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the number of persons taking the written or performance evaluation

the test score distribution

the median test score

the Evaluation Summary Form

Any of the aforementioned records may be released in the case of an

employee request, request by Training Chief for internal use, and/or if

a subpoena is filed. The Board Director will respond to the request(s)

within 5 business days.

3.307: All forms of a written exams or skills evaluations shall be used for only

one certification process. A new form of the written exam or skillsevaluation shall be produced randomly for each new certificationprocess. When a certification process includes subsequent days, the

form of a written exam or skills evaluation shall remain the same. A

copy of each form used shall be kept on record for six (6) plus the current year. No copies or reproductions of any test form shall be

provided to any candidate or other person unless specifically

approved in writing by the Board.

3.308: Test instructions will be verbally communicated to all candidates beforethe written exam process begins. All testing materials including appeals will be collected immediately upon completion of the exam and sent to the CMCB Director according to the procedures outlined in the Written Testing Instructions. No candidate may access the written exam or possess any testing materials following the exam. It is the responsibility of the Evaluator to ensure the security of the exam and materials during the testing process.

3.309: The Board shall investigate any reported or suspected breech of

security. Any required changes to ensure security shall be

implemented immediately by the appropriate member departments.

3.310: The Board may suspend, revoke, or deny any certification, or

application for certification, if a candidate has:

knowingly misrepresented information on an application for

certification

knowingly cheated, or attempted to cheat, on any portion of the certification process including evaluation

knowingly allowed other candidates to cheat or provide false information without reporting such to the appropriate representative of a member department

the current year following the evaluation process at a location

approved by the Board. The following information on each

evaluation process shall be maintained:

3.306: Records of each test process shall be maintained for six (6) plus


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3.311: The Board may suspend any Certification Evaluator from the

certification program who has: knowingly provided information to candidate(s) on any part of

the certification process including written exam items or

materials

knowingly allowed a candidate to cheat or provide false information in any part of the certification process

knowingly shown prejudice in the passing or failing of any candidate based on gender, religion, race, etc.

demonstrated non-professional conduct

3.312: The Board will immediately notify the Chief Training Officer or the

Certification Evaluator following any action.

3.313: Any candidate or Certification Evaluator may appeal a Board action in

accordance with policies set forth in Section 1.500.

3.314: The Board shall authorize generating a written exam only for specificcertification processes. The exam shall be sent directly to the member department. All other testing materials will be sent directly to the

CMCB Director following the exam by email, certified mail or hand-

delivery.

SECTION 3.400: TEST VALIDATION

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3.401: The Board shall ensure all test banks and other evaluation instruments

have been properly validated. Only test banks and performance

evaluations that have been validated shall be used.

3.402: All test banks and performance evaluation instruments shall meet the

following criteria:

the test bank and performance evaluations evaluate the skills and

knowledge necessary to meet the requirements of the adopted

professional qualifications standard for each individual

certification program as specified in Section 1.401

the content of the test bank represents the current body of knowledge in that specific performance area

written evaluation process is statistically reliable

minimum passing scores on the evaluation process represent real job requirement

each test item is valid

test construct is appropriateensure full coverage of the adopted professional qualifications standard


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3.403: Each individual test item in a test bank must contain the reference

3.404:

3.405:

source from which the item is taken. It must also reference the chapter

in the appropriate adopted performance standard for which it applies.

Upon receipt of each new test bank, the CMCB Director will notify the Board. The Board shall appoint a validation committee comprised of subject matter experts (SME) from each member department to conduct a local validation of the test bank. Names of the SME's will be recorded and maintained for future reference. The CMCB Director will set a meeting time and location for the review. The CMCB Director will oversee the validation process. The SME's will be provided with the referenced NFPA Standards and Job Performance Requirements (JPR), the referenced text (s) and packets of written test questions along with the instructions for technical validation (see Test Bank Validation Form). No one ever receives complete copies of the test item banks. The SME's will complete the local validation as follows:

Upon completion of technical validation work, all packets are returned to the CMCB Director. The CMCB Director will complete the referenced AMM to ensure there is complete coverage of the standard. The number of questions and skill sheets for each JPR will be based on the ratings provided by the SME's. The completed AMM is forwarded to the Board for review and approval. Upon Board approval, the CMCB Director will submit the completed AMM to Pro Board.

All technical edits are stored in CMCB master files. Once the

developed or revised test items are documented into the respective

test bank, the edits are maintained in electronic version for

subsequent use by future technical validation members.

A test item analysis shall be conducted for each test bank for

purposes of statistical validation. The CMCB Director will conduct a

test item analysis after a test bank has been utilized more than four

times with 5 or more candidates. Test questions in which 50% or

more of the candidates answered the question wrong will be

identified. The CMCB Director will supply this data to the Training

Chief of the testing department and our subject matter experts

(SMEs). The SMEs will review the questions to correct detected

problems and submit their recommendations to the Board.

Review the referenced NFPA Standard to evaluate the criticality of each JPR to determine the percentage of test bank questions required for each JPR.Compare each question to the referenced text section to confirm that the question and associated answer meets the intent of the subjectReview each packet to determine the local validity of each question


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3.406:

3.407:

SECTION 3.500: TERM OF CERTIFICATION

3.501: The certifications issued by Colorado Metropolitan Certification Board

will remain valid as long as the person is an employee in good

standing with one of the member departments. In cases of termination

of employment and/or retirement, the certification would be valid for up

to one year from the date of termination or retirement.

SECTION 3.600: EVALUATOR REQUIREMENT

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3.601: The Board shall establish and adopt performance standards for

personnel managing evaluation processes and for personnel

evaluating candidate performance. The performance standard and

accompanying policies shall be listed as a certification program,

Chapter 5 of the Colorado Metropolitan Certification Board Policies and

Procedures.

3.602: Certification as a Certification Evaluator is required to participate in any

evaluation process. Unless specifically approved by the Board, only

employees of member departments may be certified as a Certification

Evaluator.

3.603: All Certification Evaluators shall be required to abide by all CMCB

policies and procedures.

3.604: The Certification Evaluator I is authorized to manage a written

evaluation process.

3.605: The Certification Evaluator II is authorized to manage a written

evaluation process, and monitor individual stations during a

performance evaluation.

Once approved, the revised test questions are documented into the respective test bank by the CMCB Director. Original copies are maintained according to procedures set forth in Section 3.300.

A candidate may appeal the validity of any written exam or skillsevaluation in accordance with Section 1.500.

Refer to Section 3.300 on Test Security

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3.606: The Certification Evaluator III is authorized to manage a written

evaluation process, proctor individual stations during a

performance evaluation, and manage a performance evaluation

process.

SECTION 3.700 PORTFOLIO PROCESS

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3.701: The purpose of this section is to identify the procedures for the

development and administration of portfolio evaluation processes.

The Board may choose to use a portfolio evaluation process for

certification for those levels which consist of advanced or broad job

performance skills, i.e. Fire Officer III, Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor

II, etc. Other CMCB policies shall apply to the portfolio process

unless otherwise addressed in this section.

3.702: Any portfolio process must objectively verify that the candidate meets or exceeds the job performance requirements of the specific standard and level. The portfolio shall verify competency through documented professional experience, work- related project, successful completion of applicable college courses, successful completion of applicable professional development courses from reputable organizations such as the National Fire Academy, Emergency Management Institute, etc., or a combination thereof. Only college and professional development courses which incorporate a testing process shall be considered. (See 3.708.) The portfolio review process will be completed at the beginning of all course work. The Training Chief from the candidate’s agency will review the portfolio submittals for applicable credit towards existing assignments. The Training Chief will submit qualifying materials to the CMCB for approval at the next scheduled meeting.

3.703: The candidate shall demonstrate competency in all the criteria

listed for each job performance requirement.

3.704: The Board shall approve all portfolio processes used by CMCB.

Each process shall include the following components.

Criteria for each job performance requirement listed in the NFPA standard for the level being evaluated. The criteria shall correspond to the criteria section of each job performance requirement, e.g. “so that . . . . . .”.

Forms to be used to evaluate each job performance requirement. Each form shall include the signature of the candidate, the Chief Training Officer of the candidate’s


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agency, or other official to verify all information submitted is

accurate.

Any agency form, record, or report required for completion of the portfolio shall be referenced.

Instructions to the candidate on development and submission of the portfolio. The instructions must comply with all applicable CMCB policies.

Examples courses which have been approved by the Board as meeting some or all of the job performance requirements for that level. The specific job performance requirement(s) for each course shall be listed.

The style and format of the portfolio including margins, type size, page layout, etc.

The process for appealing the evaluation outcome for the portfolio. Refer to Section 1.500.

In all cases, the process must ensure that the candidate clearly

demonstrates competence in each job performance requirement in

a manner that can be objectively evaluated.

3.705: A candidate may demonstrate competency of a job performance

requirement through documented professional experience. The

candidate shall verify competence through professional experience

by submitting the following in the portfolio. See Chart 3.1.

A job description for the position. The job description must have been formally adopted by the agency and been in force during the candidate’s tenure in the position. The job description must identify essential job duties and minimum requirements. A copy must be provided and all areas pertaining to the job performance requirement identified.

A letter from the Fire Chief or Human Resources Manager verifying the dates the candidate served in that position and the job description is valid for the position.

A copy of any job performance evaluations during the candidate’s tenure in the position that verify the candidate satisfactorily performed his/her duties in that position. In lieu of job performance evaluations, the candidate may submit a letter from his/her supervisor, or the Fire Chief, verifying the candidate satisfactorily performed his/her duties in that position.

All letters submitted must be originals, written on agency letterhead, and signed in ink.


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A written justification of how the professional experience relates to the specific job performance requirement. The justification must address each of the criteria for the job performance requirement. The justification must be detailed and organized.


requirement through a documented work product. The candidate

shall verify competence through a work product by submitting the

following in the portfolio. It is desirable to submit more than one (1)

work product for any single job performance requirement. See

Chart 3.1.

A copy of the work product. The work product may be a report, memos, letters, project, etc. A statement must be provided by the Fire Chief or candidate’s supervisor verifying that the candidate was the primary creator of the work product, i.e. the candidate was responsible for the creation of the majority of the product and would be able to replicate the work product without supervision.

A written justification of how the work product relates to the specific job performance requirement. The justification must address each of the criteria for the job performance requirement. The justification must be detailed and organized.


requirement through documented successful completion of a

college course. The candidate shall verify competence through a

college course by submitting the following in the portfolio. See

Chart 3.1.

An original transcript from a regionally accredited college or university with a seal/stamp affixed. It may be necessary for the candidate to have the transcript sent directly to the Chief Training Officer or Fire Chief. The transcript must list the course title and number. The candidate must have earned a ‘C’ or better, or obtained a ‘Satisfactory’ to be considered in the process. For courses approved by CMCB, no other information must be provided. For all other courses, the additional information must be provided.

A copy of the course description taken from the official college catalog or website. The description must be applicable to the time the course was completed. If a course description is not available, a letter from the college registrar


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listing the outcome objectives for the course and verifying a

testing process was used during the course may be

submitted.

If available, a course syllabus listing the learning objectives and testing methods.

If available, copies of the candidate’s assignments, tests, projects, etc.

A written justification of how the college course relates to the specific job performance requirement. The justification must address each of the criteria for the job performance requirement. The justification must be detailed and organized.

3.708: A candidate may demonstrate competency of a job performance requirement through documented successful completion of a

professional development course related to the job performance

requirement. The candidate shall verify competence through a

professional development course by submitting the following in the

portfolio. It is desirable to submit more than one (1) professional

development course for any single job performance requirement.

See Chart 3.1.

A copy of the course certificate. The certificate must list the course date, the name of the candidate, and the title of the course. In addition, the certificate must have the phrase ‘ . .. for successful completion of . . ‘ or similar language. Certificates only verifying attendance will not be accepted. For courses approved by CMCB, no other information must be provided. For all other courses, the additional information must be provided.

A description of the organization/agency providing the course. If available, a flyer or brochure about the organization/agency should be included.

A course description that includes learning objectives and testing methods. Only courses with a verified testing process will be accepted.

If available, a transcript verifying course attendance and completion.

If available, a copy of the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendation for the course.

A written justification of how the professional development course relates to the specific job performance requirement. The justification must address each of the criteria for the job performance requirement. The justification must be detailed and organized.


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3.709: Once the Board has approved a portfolio process, a portfolio

manual shall be developed for use by the candidate. Each manual

shall contain the information listed in Section 3.704. The manual

shall be readily available for any interested candidate through the

agency’s training division. The manual shall provide examples of

the desired portfolio style and format.

3.710: Any candidate desiring certification through a portfolio process shall

notify the agency’s Chief Training Officer. The Chief Training

Officer shall meet with the candidate to ensure all prerequisites for

the desired certification level have been met. If all prerequisites

have been met, the candidate may proceed with the portfolio

process.

The Chief Training Officer will provide the candidate with the

appropriate portfolio program manual, e.g. Fire Instructor II, Fire

Officer III, etc. Also, the Chief Training Officer will review the

instructions with the candidate to ensure the candidate understands

all the requirements of the portfolio and the process for submitting

the portfolio for review.

3.711: There is no time limit on completion of a portfolio prior to

submission for review.

3.712: Once completed, the candidate shall submit the portfolio to the Chief Training Officer. The Chief Training Officer shall ensure each job performance requirement has been addressed and verify all signatures. The Chief Training Officer shall then notify the Board Chair that a portfolio has been received. The Chief Training Officer shall review the candidate portfolio for accuracy and completeness of all assignments. An electronic version of the candidate portfolio shall be submitted to the CMCB Director. The Director will track the review process and forward a copy of the portfolio to the Board Chair to establish a Portfolio Review Team (PRT). The Director will orient the PRT to the review process and provide access to necessary evaluation forms.

3.713: Once notified that a portfolio has been submitted for review, the

Board Chair shall appoint a three (3) person portfolio review team

(PRT). The PRT shall be appointed within ten (10) days after

notification by the Chief Training Officer. Also, the Board Chair shall identify one (1) member of the PRT to coordinate the review of the

portfolio. The coordinator must be a Certification Evaluator II. Other

members of the PRT must be at least a Certification Evaluator II or

equivalent.


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The PRT shall be composed of the following members.

One (1) member shall be a Chief Training Officer from a CMCB agency. The member may not be the candidate’s advisor or instructor for any coursework submitted in the portfolio.

One (1) member shall be a Chief Training Officer. The member may be from the candidate’s agency.

One (1) member shall be from the professional area and level in which the certification is being sought. For example, if a Fire Instructor II is being sought the member must be a CMCB training officer with responsibility for development of curriculum and supervision of other instructors.

All members, in the judgment of the Board Chair, shall meet or

exceed the requirements of the certification level being sought.

3.714: No more than one member of a PRT may be from the candidate’s agency. In addition, no member may previously or currently have any private or professional relationship with the candidate that

could result in bias during the review process. It shall be the responsibility of the PRT member to announce any such conflict of

interest prior to beginning the review process, or when such conflict is determined. The Board Chair shall immediately excuse the member with such conflict and replace him/her with another

qualified member.

3.715: Procedures and required forms for completing a portfolio review

process will be available on the Evaluator III CMCB website. The

PRT Coordinator shall orient PRT members to the evaluation

process and evaluation dates prior to the portfolio review. The

orientation shall address the following topics:

The portfolio review process.

Role and responsibilities of the reviewers.

Structure and content of NFPA professional qualifications job performance requirements.

Methods for determining if portfolio information meets job performance requirement.

Process for providing feedback to candidate in portfolio process.

Completion of CMCB evaluation forms

Meeting Dates


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3.716: The PRT shall have 60 days to review the portfolio. The PRT shall

use the evaluation forms to guide the review of each job

performance requirement. A candidate must demonstrate

competency in all of the criteria to pass each job performance

requirement. All job performance requirements must be passed to

qualify for certification.

3.717: The PRT shall carefully review each job performance requirement

presented in the portfolio for the desired level. The PRT shall

consider the following general elements for each job performance

requirement.

Applicability. The candidate must clearly demonstrate that the experience, work product or course listed is directly applicable to the job performance requirement. The PRT may refer to the criteria in the job performance requirement and /or the requisite skills and knowledge to measure the applicability.

For college and professional development courses, the PRT

should refer to the learning objectives and other course

materials to determine if the specific job or skill was

presented, applied and evaluated during the course. This

may include terminal outcome objectives, learning activities,

homework assignments, guide projects, etc.

Mastery. The candidate must clearly demonstrate that he/she has mastered the job performance requirement and is capable of performing that job without direct supervision or coaching. The PRT may consider the length and breadth of the professional experience, the number of times the candidate replicated the work product, or the number of courses successfully completed which addressed the job performance requirement. For mastery to be achieved, all of the criteria listed in each job performance requirement must be demonstrated.

Originality. The candidate must clearly prove that all work products, course work, etc. are his/her original creation. While the candidate may have been part of a team, the candidate must prove he/she did the majority of the work and can again perform the job without supervision or coaching.


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For professional experience, originality means the candidate

had the primary responsibility for performing the duties

referenced in the job description.

For a college or professional development course, originality

means the candidate proves he/she received individual

credit, not credit as a team or group, for successfully

passing/completing each course.

If the PRT determines that the candidate successfully justifies

applicability to the job performance requirement, and the candidate

demonstrates mastery of the job or skill, and the candidate proves

he/she is the original creator of the work product, the PRT may

award credit for that specific job performance requirement.

3.718: The candidate is responsible for providing adequate information in

the portfolio so that the PRT may determine if credit for each

specific job performance requirement is warranted.

3.719: The CMCB Director shall provide a report on the written

Evaluation Summary Form during the next scheduled CMCB

meeting. The following information shall be provided.

The job performance requirements passed.

The job performance requirements which the candidate failed to demonstrate competency.

Written justification detailing the reasons the candidate failed to demonstrate competency.

3.720: The following forms will be returned to the candidate’s Chief

Training Officer after the portfolio review:

Fire Officer III Assignment Log.

Assignment Grading Criteria.


3.721:

All portfolios, reviewer notes, forms, etc. shall be kept for six (6)

plus the current year from the date of the review.

Any PRT member, any Board member, or any Fire Chief who

suspects a submitted portfolio contains fraudulent information shall

immediately inform the Board Chair. The reason(s) for suspecting

fraud shall be identified. The Board Chair shall direct the PRT


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coordinator to investigate such allegation and determine if fraud

has occurred.

Any candidate caught cheating, submitting fraudulent or forged

materials, attempting to deceive the PRT, or otherwise unfairly

attempting to influence the outcome of the portfolio review process

shall be removed from the portfolio process. The PRT coordinator

shall immediately notify the Board Chair who shall notify the

candidate’s Chief Training Officer.

Section 3.208 shall apply to any candidate disqualified from a

portfolio process.

3.722: If all job performance requirements were passed, a certification

shall be issued to the candidate for that level. The date of

certification shall be the date the review by the PRT was

conducted.

3.723: The candidate shall be notified in writing of the outcome of the

portfolio review within ten (10) days of the portfolio review. See

Chart 3.2. The candidate shall be informed of which, if any, job

performance requirements were failed and the reason for the

failure.

3.724: A candidate may submit a revised portfolio which addresses the

failed job performance requirement(s). The revised portfolio must be submitted within six (6) months of the initial portfolio review. Upon receiving a revised portfolio, the Board Chair shall reconvene

the initial PRT and direct them to review the revised portfolio. If the candidate fails to submit a revised portfolio within six (6) months of

the initial portfolio review, the candidate must submit a complete portfolio addressing all the job performance requirements for that level.

The PRT shall meet to review the revised portfolio within thirty (30)

days after submission by the candidate. The PRT shall use the

evaluation forms to guide the review of each job performance

requirement. A candidate must demonstrate competency in all of

the criteria to pass each job performance requirement.

3.725: The PRT shall provide a written Evaluation Summary Form to the

Board Chair within ten (10) days following the review of the revised

portfolio. The following information shall be provided.

The job performance requirements passed.


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The job performance requirements which the candidate failed to demonstrate competency.

Written justification detailing the reasons the candidate failed to demonstrate competency.

3.726: No materials used in the review shall be returned to the candidate

including the submitted revised portfolio, reviewer notes, etc. In

addition, no information may be provided by any member of the

PRT that could be used by the candidate to fraudulently revise

his/her portfolio for future reconsideration.

3.727: If the job performance requirements initially failed were passed

through the revised portfolio, a certification shall be issued to the

candidate for that level. The date of certification shall be the date

the review by the PRT of the revised portfolio was conducted.

3.728: The candidate shall be notified in writing of the outcome of the

portfolio review within ten (10) days of the portfolio review. See

Chart 3.2. The candidate shall be informed of which, if any, job

performance requirements were failed and the reason for the

failure.

3.729: A candidate may appeal the decision of the PRT following the

process identified in Section 1.500. In addition, the candidate may request that an advocate be allowed. The purpose of the advocate is to provide objective, verifiable, and first-hand information that

may demonstrate the candidate’s competency of the failed job performance requirement. The candidate must advise the Board

Chair, in writing, of his/her desire to use an advocate during the appeal process. The advocate may accompany the candidate to the appeal hearing. Only one (1) advocate may be used during an

appeal.

The advocate may only provide information on the job performance

requirement in question. The advocate must have first-hand

knowledge of the candidate’s competency relating to the job

performance requirement in question.

3.730: If the candidate fails to pass all the job performance requirements

with the revised portfolio, the candidate must wait twelve (12)

months to resubmit a portfolio for that level. The new portfolio must

address all the job performance requirements for that level.

3.731: If, following the issuance of a certification through a portfolio

process, the Board shall become aware that a certification was

obtained through the use of fraudulent information; the Board Chair


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3.732:

3.733:

3.734:

shall appoint a PRT to review the suspected portfolio. No member

of the original PRT may be included in the PRT investigating

potential fraud or deception.

The investigation PRT shall, within thirty (30) days, submit a written

report to the Board Chair. The report shall list the findings of the

PRT, specifically if fraud or deception actually occurred and a

certification was inappropriately issued.

If sufficient evidence is found to prove that the certification was

awarded based on fraudulent or deceptive information, the Board

may revoke the certification. The Board shall notify the certification

holder by certified mail of the decision. The certification holder may

appeal the Board decision in the same manner as appealing any

other evaluation outcome. See Section 1.500.

A $30.00 application fee will be processed for each Fire Officer III

or Fire Instructor II portfolio submittal.


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Chart 3.1

Demonstrating Job Performance Requirement Competency

Back to Index

NFPA Job Performance Requirement

[Criteria]

Professional Experience

Job Description

Letter verifying time in the position

Copy of job performance evaluations in the position, or letter verifying satisfactory job performance

Written justification relating professional experience to the job performance requirement

Work Product

Copy of work product(s)

Statement verifying primary creator of work product


College Course

Original transcript with course title, course number and passing grade

Copy of course description, or letter verifying learning objectives and testing process

If available, course syllabus with learning objectives and testing process

If available, copies of assignments, test, reports, etc.


Professional Development Course

Copy of course certificate with title and name

Description of organization

Course description with learning objectives and testing process

If available, atranscript verifying attendance

If available, ACE recommendation for course



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Chart 3.2

Portfolio Review Process

Back to Index

Submission of Portfolio to Chief Training Officer

Chief Training Officer Verifies Signatures and Information in Portfolio

Board Chair Appoints Portfolio Review Team (PRT)

10 days

PRT Reviews Portfolio

30 days

PRT Provides Written Report to Board Chair

10 days

Candidate Notified in Writing of Outcome

10 days

Candidate Submits Revised Portfolio

6 months

PRT Reviews Revised Portfolio

30 days

PRT Provides Written Report to Board Chair

10 days

Candidate Notified in Writing of Outcome


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Chart 3.3

Fire Officer III Admissions Process

Prerequisite Submittal / Verification

↓

Admissions Form

↓

Candidate Orientation

↓

Portfolio Credit Evaluation

↓

Credit Verification

Program Coordinator/Training Chief

↓

CMCB Review/Approval

↓

Credit Award Logged

CMCB Director Recorded


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Date: Hard Copy Delivery

The following agency:

Colorado Springs Fire Department South Metro Fire Rescue Authority

West Metro Fire Protection District

NFPA Edition Text Edition

Challenge

Reprint

NOTE: Application must be received at least 15 days prior to the requested written evaluation date

and 30 days prior to the requested practical evaluation date.

Select a time

Select a location

Initial Certification

Aurora Fire Rescue Poudre Fire Authority

Denver Fire Department

Retest

Proposed date:

# of Candidates:

Proposed date:

Request an exam be created and/or all other requests:

Select a date

COLORADO METROPOLITAN CERTIFICATION BOARD

5440 Roslyn Street, Building 5, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80216

Telephone: 720-865-4071

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION

Please submit this application to the Director: [email protected]

**Please fill in all highlighted sections below. Save a copy for your records**

Select a date Electronic Delivery

Location:

# of Candidates:

Select a date

Select number of candidates

Certificate of Compliance, # of Candidates:

Select a location

Time:

Location:

Written Test Practical Test

Select a certification level

Select number of candidates

Contact Person: Type name

Street Address: Type address

Time: Select a time

Select a numberRecognition, # of Candidates:

Phone Number:

Select a number

Type phone number

City, State, & Zip: Type City, State & Zip

Amount Due: For Administration tracking only

Appendix A

Chief Training

Officer's Authorization

Code: Type code

By submitting this form online with the Authorization Code, the Chief Training Officer affirms that

all listed candidates meet the requirements for certification set forth by the Colorado Metropolitan

Certification Board.**

** The application cannot be processed without the Chief Training Officer's Authorization Code.


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Employee

ID #Username Email First Name Last Name Middle Name

Date of

BirthAddress (Line 1) E/U Reason

Appendix A


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CMCB Test Bank Validation

Test Bank ____________Version ____________

Date ___________________________

Location

_____________________________________________

Reviewed & Recommended by:

Name Agency

__________________________ ___________________________

__________________________ ___________________________

__________________________ ___________________________

Validation check points:

Verify the question is accurately referenced

Reference is on the correct page number

Correct answer is keyed

Question is/is not valid

The most correct answer is keyed

Appropriate terminology (local)

Revised questions with revision suggestions

Retired questions with detailed explanation

Rate criticality (importance) of NFPA JPR

Appendix B


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COLORADO METROPOLITAN CERTIFICATION BOARD 5440 Roslyn Street, Building 5, Suite 200

Denver, CO 80216 Telephone: 720-865-4071

APPLICATION FOR QUALIFYING MILITARY DEPLOYMENT Please submit this application to the Director: [email protected]

**Please print a copy for your records**

This Application for Qualifying Military Deployment allows all military personnel who

voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment positions to perform service in the Uniformed

Services, protected under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

(USERRA) a suspended term to complete all areas of certification (Refer to PPM Chapter 3,

Section 3.213).

Date: SELECT A DATE

The following agency:

☐ Aurora Fire Rescue ☐ Poudre Fire Authority

☐ Colorado Springs Fire Department ☐ South Metro Fire Rescue Authority

☐ Denver Fire Department ☐ West Metro Fire Protection District

Candidate: _______________________________

Deployment date: __________________ Deployment Term: _________________________

Please provide a copy of your military orders for active duty and attach it hereto.

Contact Person: Phone Number:

Street Address: City, State, & Zip:

Chief Training Officer’s Authorization Code:

*The application cannot be processed without the Chief Training Officer's AuthorizationCode. By submitting this form online with the Authorization Code, the Chief TrainingOfficer affirms that the above listed candidate meets the guidelines set forth by theColorado Metropolitan Certification Board.

Appendix C


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