New Curriculum and New Curriculum and Certification Certification

Requirements for Requirements for Company Officer Company Officer

Background Background

In 2011 SFT recognized the need to update the course requirements for the Company Officer certification pathFire Command IA was virtually unchanged since its inceptionFire Command IC added in 2004 due to Blue Ribbon Committee recommendations on interface LODD’s, had not been updated since introduced Prevention IA & IB were designed for F/T Prevention personnel, not Company Officers

Background Background

As a result effective Jan. 1, 2013, the following changes were made to the Fire

Officer certification path:

Fire Command IA was replaced with Command IAFire Command IC was replaced by Command ICPrevention IA & IB were replaced by Prevention I

Background (cont).Background (cont).

The new Course Requirements were:Command IA (Command Principles for Company Officers) Fire Command IB (Incident Management for Company Officers)

Command IC (WUI Operations for the Company Officer)

Training Instructor IA (Cognitive Lesson Delivery)

Training Instructor IB (Psychomotor Lesson Delivery)

Fire Investigation IA (Fire Cause Origin and Determination)

Fire Management I (Management/Supervision for Company Officers)

Fire Prevention I (Fire/Life Safety Inspections for Company Officers)

I-300 (Intermediate ICS)

New Company OfficerNew Company Officer

As part of the SFT Alignment Process, in July 2013 Cadre was tasked to update the FO path to align

with the following NFPA Standards: - NFPA 1021, Professional Qualifications for FO I & II,

- NFPA 1051, Professional Qualifications for Wildland FO I

- NFPA 1041, Fire Instructor Professional Qualifications

As a result, a new Certification Training Standard (CTS) and six course plans were developed.In November 2013 a Validation Cadre met to review and approved the work.In February 2014 it was approved by STEAC

New Company Officer (cont)New Company Officer (cont)

Courses for the new cert. path include:Human Resource Management for CO’s (40 Hrs)General Admin. Functions for CO’s (20 Hrs)Fire Insp. & Investigations for CO’s (40 Hrs)All Risk Command Op’s for CO’s (40 Hrs)Wildland Inc. Op’s for CO’s (40 Hrs)Instructional Methodology (40 Hrs)

And, to satisfy misc. Federal & State Mandates:Haz Mat IC (16 Hrs) To meet Sec. 5192 Title 8

IS-200.B (16 Hrs) To meet Presidential Directive 5

New Company Officer (cont)New Company Officer (cont)

Analysis/Summary of Issues Title of the new path is now Company OfficerPrerequisite remains Firefighter II Certification.Prereq for Wildland Inc. OP’s is S-290 (Classroom only!)

Instructor emphasis is on adapting not writing lesson plansUpon completing courses & authorization of agency, candidates must complete a Task Book (Occupational Experience) from SFT. Task Book will verify completion of each JPR & be signed by the ChiefFinal Component will be an on-line written certification exam given by a third party (TBD)

Company Officer Transition PeriodCompany Officer Transition Period

Transition Period Begins July 1, 2014 and ends Dec. 31, 2016

During transition period both new Company Officer and current Fire Officer Curriculum are acceptable AND

CANDIDATES NOW HAVE UNTIL 12/31/16 TO COMPLETE THE CURRENT FIRE OFFICER CERT PATH

After Dec 31, 2016, Fire Officer curriculum retired and No Longer Available!*

Cross over between classes will not be allowed*Courses with viable content may be reconfigured as an FSTEP class

CO Instructor RequirementsCO Instructor Requirements

Human Resource Management: Current Management I Inst. OR complete the new course OR PACE II review

General. Admin. Functions: Current Management Inst. OR complete the new course OR a PACE II review

Fire Inspections & Invest: Current Prev. I Instructors OR complete the new course OR a PACE II review

All Risk Command OPS: Current Command 1A Inst. OR complete the new course OR a PACE II review

Wildland Inc. Ops: Current Command IC Inst. OR complete the new course OR a PACE II review

Instructional Methodology: TBD by new Fire Instructor cert. track timeline

QuestionsQuestions

Why Alignment ?Why Alignment ?

Blueprint 2020 (2008) adopted following Goals: Implement a Quality Improvement Program (which includes updating the CTS for all certification paths)

Align Training to Nat’l Prof. Development Models (Such as FESHE, IFSAC & Pro Board)

Implement Capstone (Certification) Testing (use of instructor and publisher materials for written tests)

Use a Business Model for Training & Ed System (use of on-line tests for classes and certification process’)

Why Alignment ? Why Alignment ?

2011 SFT began the process to implement these goals

As the process moved forward,all signs pointed to

alignment with NFPA Standards

Why Alignment ?Why Alignment ?

For Example: Implement a Quality Improvement Program (updating the CTS for all certification paths)

The most common Certification Path CTS’ are NFPA (updated 3 yrs)Align Training to Nat’l Prof. Development Models (Such as FESHE, IFSAC & Pro-Board)

IFSAC & Pro-Board follow NFPA standardsImplement Capstone (Certification) Testing (use of instructor and publisher materials for written tests)

Other States use IFSAC & Pro-Board cert. & publisher based testsUse a Business Model for Training & Ed System (use of on-line tests for classes and certification process’)

Most existing on-line systems follow NFPA standards

QuestionsQuestions