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I am reading in the Spring/Summer issue of the newsletter for the Illinois Society of Fire Service Instructors that the OSFM is proposing changes to the FFII and FFIII certifications. My understanding of these changes is to bring the state more in line with NFPA standards and the rest of the country. The new Firefighter II will become a Basic Firefighter and the new FFIII will become an Advanced Firefighter. The Basic Firefighter certification will consist of the following:
1. Member of an IL fire department.
2. Completion of all Basic Firefighter cognitive objectives (classroom)
3. Completion of all Basic Firefighter psychomotor objectives (practicals)
4. Completion of a new “Module D,” which will consist of the following:
. 4a. Certification at the level of Hazardous Materials Awareness
. 4b. Certification at the level of Technical Rescue Awareness
. 4c. Completion of the classroom portion of Fire Service Vehicle Operator
. 4d. Completion of IS-100 and IS-700 (ICS and NIMS)
. 4e. Completion of basic CPR, and a basic first-aid course.
There are not too many changes here, except the addition of FSVO and ICS/NIMS. FSVO is an eight-hour class, and not too bad, and ICS/NIMS are required for any department that wants federal money. I’m not sure what they mean by a “basic first-aid course,” as there is already about three-four hours of first-aid/first responder type instruction in Mod B now.
The real trouble I’m having is with the proposed changes to FFIII. The Advanced Firefighter will require the following:
1. Certification as a Basic Firefighter for 3 years.
2. Completion of all Advanced Firefighter cognitive objectives
3. Completion of all Advanced Firefighter psychomotor objectives
4. Completion of “Module D,” which will be:
. 4a. Certification at the level of Haz Mat Operations
. 4b. Certification at the level of Vehicle Machinery Operations
. 4c. Certification at the level of Fire Service Vehicle Operator
. 4d. Certification at the level of Fire Apparatus Engineer
. 4e. Technical Rescue Team Support Training
Of the preceding, 4b through 4e are all new. I’m not sure what Technical Rescue Team Support Training is going to consist of. The committee was going to add additional classes in either Haz Mat, Tech Rescue or firefighting, but pared it down.
Anyone already certified as a FFII or FFIII will have to complete the additional classes to convert their cert to a Basic Firefighter or Advanced Firefighter Cert.
I have some serious reservations regarding these additions, particularly at the FFIII level. It was going to be my goal to get our department to FFIII within three years, but I don’t see that happening now. My experience has been that the average career span of a volunteer firefighter is about 5 years. Add EMT-B to the above classes and none of us in the volunteer world have a prayer of getting anybody certified at these higher levels, even if we offer 80% of these classes in-house. And we can teach the course curricula, but not drive towards certification, but why waste people’s time with that if they can’t get third-party certification?
Our department trains extensively on pump operations and vehicle extrication. Now I’ll have to put people through 80 hours of classroom in addition if they want that cert.
I also see serious and expensive ramifications for career departments who, for reason of insurance, ISO, or just a matter of public policy, want to see their firefighters certified at the advanced level.
Any thoughts?
1. Member of an IL fire department.
2. Completion of all Basic Firefighter cognitive objectives (classroom)
3. Completion of all Basic Firefighter psychomotor objectives (practicals)
4. Completion of a new “Module D,” which will consist of the following:
. 4a. Certification at the level of Hazardous Materials Awareness
. 4b. Certification at the level of Technical Rescue Awareness
. 4c. Completion of the classroom portion of Fire Service Vehicle Operator
. 4d. Completion of IS-100 and IS-700 (ICS and NIMS)
. 4e. Completion of basic CPR, and a basic first-aid course.
There are not too many changes here, except the addition of FSVO and ICS/NIMS. FSVO is an eight-hour class, and not too bad, and ICS/NIMS are required for any department that wants federal money. I’m not sure what they mean by a “basic first-aid course,” as there is already about three-four hours of first-aid/first responder type instruction in Mod B now.
The real trouble I’m having is with the proposed changes to FFIII. The Advanced Firefighter will require the following:
1. Certification as a Basic Firefighter for 3 years.
2. Completion of all Advanced Firefighter cognitive objectives
3. Completion of all Advanced Firefighter psychomotor objectives
4. Completion of “Module D,” which will be:
. 4a. Certification at the level of Haz Mat Operations
. 4b. Certification at the level of Vehicle Machinery Operations
. 4c. Certification at the level of Fire Service Vehicle Operator
. 4d. Certification at the level of Fire Apparatus Engineer
. 4e. Technical Rescue Team Support Training
Of the preceding, 4b through 4e are all new. I’m not sure what Technical Rescue Team Support Training is going to consist of. The committee was going to add additional classes in either Haz Mat, Tech Rescue or firefighting, but pared it down.
Anyone already certified as a FFII or FFIII will have to complete the additional classes to convert their cert to a Basic Firefighter or Advanced Firefighter Cert.
I have some serious reservations regarding these additions, particularly at the FFIII level. It was going to be my goal to get our department to FFIII within three years, but I don’t see that happening now. My experience has been that the average career span of a volunteer firefighter is about 5 years. Add EMT-B to the above classes and none of us in the volunteer world have a prayer of getting anybody certified at these higher levels, even if we offer 80% of these classes in-house. And we can teach the course curricula, but not drive towards certification, but why waste people’s time with that if they can’t get third-party certification?
Our department trains extensively on pump operations and vehicle extrication. Now I’ll have to put people through 80 hours of classroom in addition if they want that cert.
I also see serious and expensive ramifications for career departments who, for reason of insurance, ISO, or just a matter of public policy, want to see their firefighters certified at the advanced level.
Any thoughts?
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