NC fire officer [Archive] - Firehouse Forums

BULL321

07-21-2008, 02:51 PM

Drew,
Since you asked, Here it is.
NC FIRE
&
RESCUE
C O M M I S S I O N
Jim Long, Commissioner
State Fire Marshal
North Carolina Fire Officer Certification
In a continued effort to reduce fire loss in the State of North Carolina, the State Legislature established General Statute 58-78-5.14b, which
requires the State Fire and Rescue Commission to establish voluntary minimum professional qualifications for all levels of fire and rescue service
personnel.
The standard for Fire Officer Certification is considered to be a minimum standard and the Fire & Rescue Commission fully recognizes that, due to
differing requirements, many fire departments may set forth standards much higher than these for their personnel. It is the intent, however, that
through a voluntary program, personnel who provide firefighting services to the communities of our state, will meet or exceed this standard.
Performance Standard
The NFPA 1021 Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, Current Edition, will be the performance standard used for Fire Officer
Certification.
Entrance Requirements
The Fire Officer candidate must meet the entrance requirements listed below before the Portfolio and/or certification can be issued. The candidate
must also meet all of the prerequisites for the applicable level of the current NFPA 1021 Standard.
Age/ Education/Service Requirements
The candidate must be at least 21 years of age. Training and course work may be completed in advance, but certification cannot be issued until the
candidate's 21st birthday. Moreover, the candidate must meet the requirements of the standard in place at the time of his/her birthday even though
he/she may have been working toward a previous standard.
The candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent recognized by the State Department of Public Instruction (i.e., GED). The candidate
must be a member in good standing of a recognized fire service organization for three years and possess the physical ability to perform all tasks
associated with his/her assignment.
Reciprocity
Any Fire Officer certified by another state or agency whose program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC),
or the National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications(ProBoard), and is a member of a fire/rescue agency in North Carolina may be
granted equivalent certification, provided the agency was accredited at the time of his/her certification. To apply for reciprocity, a completed
certification application and copies of the original certificate with accreditation statement must be submitted to:
NC Department of Insurance OSFM | 1202 Mail Service Center | Raleigh, NC 27699 | Attn: Brandi Maynard | Fax 919-662-4670
Fire Officer
Certification
Steps to Certification - Level One
Prerequisites
– Certified Firefighter Level II
– Certified General Level II Instructor
The Fire Officer I candidate must enroll in the NC Fire and Rescue Commission Certification program by requesting and completing a Fire Officer I
Application. The candidate will then be sent a Fire Officer I Portfolio and will be given twelve (12) months from the date of application to complete
and submit. Candidates will be given the option of a three month extension for submission of the portfolio if prior approval is granted by the Fire
Officer Subcommittee.
The portfolio will be reviewed by the Fire Officer subcommittee and, upon approval, the candidate will be given the opportunity to take the Fire
Officer I written examination. The written exam measures the cognitive skills of the 1021 Standard and must follow the guidelines set forth under the
Policy for Testing manual. A score of 70% or above shall constitute a passing grade. If the exam is completed unsuccessfully, the candidate will be
given a period of one (1) year to re-test. More information about the regional testing program can be found on our web site (www.ncdoi.com/osfm).
Steps to Certification - Level Two
Prerequisites
– Fire Officer I
– Certified General Level II Instructor
The Fire Officer II candidate must be certified Fire Officer I and General Level II Instructor. The Fire Officer II candidate must enroll in the NC Fire and
Rescue Commission Certification program by requesting and completing a Fire Officer II Application. Portfolio and testing procedures are the same
as described in the requirements for Level I listed above.
Steps to Certification - Level Three
Prerequisites
– Fire Officer II
– Certified General Level II Instructor
The Fire Officer III candidate must be certified Fire Officer II and General Level II Instructor. The Fire Officer III candidate must enroll in the NC Fire
and Rescue Commission Certification program by requesting and completing a Fire Officer III Application. Portfolio and testing procedures are the
same as described in the requirements for Level I and II listed above.
Competency Requirements
Although no particular college or university course of study will meet all of the competency requirements, curriculum such as the two-year Fire
Protection Technology Degree program will help prepare the Fire Officer candidate to meet the performance objectives of NFPA 1021. Individual
courses of study in the areas of Human Resource Management, Public Relations, Budgeting, Communications, Information Management, and
Composition should be of assistance in lieu of a full college degree. Obtaining a college degree would provide a useful means of preparing the
candidate for this program of certification advancement but it is not required.
Recertification Requirements
At the time of certification, each individual is certified to the most current edition of the National Fire Protection Association Standard adopted by
the NC Fire and Rescue Commission. Each individual's certification record reflects the edition that was in place during the time of certification. The
Commission does not issue new certificates upon recertification; these records are maintained by the Chief or employer on a local level.
Certification Authority and Records
Certificates for Fire Officers will be issued by the Commission Office when the candidate has met the requirements for certification.
Summary of Prerequisite Requirements
– High School diploma or GED
– Minimum 21 years of age
– Three (3) years of fire service
– Firefighter II Certified and General Level II Instructor Certified (for Fire Officer Level I)
– Fire Officer I and General Level II Instructor Certified (for Fire Officer Level II)
– Fire Officer II and General Level II Instructor Certified (for Fire Officer Level III)
– Successful completion of workbook for applicable level
– Successful completion of Fire Officer exam for applicable level

I got this info off of the below website,
http://www.ncdoi.com/OSFM/FireAndRescueCommission/fr_officer.asp

By the way when are you going to post a picture of your New Helmet.

Stay Safe
Bull