Certification Process

All certification courses and exams shall be made available to all qualified candidates of the Alabama Fire College without regard to sex, race, religion or ethnic background. The Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission Policies, Procedures and Regulations of the Commission mandate the eligibility and prerequisite requirements. These requirements are published in the Newsflash, which is printed quarterly, course syllabi, course description, and course prerequisite charts, all located on the Alabama Fire College website. 

 

1.    Approved courses are open equally to career, volunteer, and non-fire-service personnel provided they meet the eligibility requirements. Candidates must be 18 years of age on the first day of class. Individuals may attend certification courses upon registration accompanied by the appropriate proof of prerequisites. Prerequisite requirements are addressed under Prerequisites.  Requests to audit training may be considered by the Executive Director.

 

2.    Certification requirements are any specified prerequisites, job performance requirements and successful completion of the written examination. The AFC policy and practice is to administer written examinations through objectively graded examinations where a score of 70 is required for successful completion and certification. Policies for skills testing, both academic and performance, are addressed in the Certification Policies of the AFC Policy and Procedure Manual.   

 

3.    Certification course attendance is addressed in the Attendance section of this document. A student must successfully complete all portions of a certification course, both classroom and practical, to establish eligibility to sit for the state written examination. Upon the verification of prerequisites, successful completion of the course requirements, written and/or skills testing, one certificate with the Alabama, Pro Board and IFSAC (where applicable) seals will be mailed within 30 days after testing. This certificate will be automatically added to the national registry. No further application or fees are needed for this national recognition.

 

4.   If a student is allowed to sit for a certification exam but is ultimately deemed ineligible, then that exam will not be processed or the certification will be revoked.

 

5.    The student may sit for the exam once eligibility has been established. Any student completing a course must complete his/her initial required certification examination within 90 days of the date of course completion and provide all required documentation. Students unable to comply with the 90 day rule must submit an appeal in writing to extend the time allowed to complete certification exams.

 

6.    Students not successful in their first attempt must complete their retest attempt prior to the anniversary date of successful completion of the required course. Any student who fails to complete the required examinations within 12 months of course completion will automatically lose credit for any coursework completed.

 

7.      Certification candidates with incomplete certification files where certification testing has occurred but the certifying agency certificate is pending, the candidate may sit for the certification exam but will not be processed for certification until all documentation has been received. Candidates with pending pre-requisites have 90 days from the date of the exam to submit the required documentation or eligibility for certification at the requested level will be rescinded.

 

8.      In all cases, prerequisite training and certification must be completed prior to progression to the next level.

 

Eligibility for Certification

To be eligible for certification at a specific level, candidates must meet the following criteria:

a.     18 years of age on the first day of class

b.      Read and understand the material presented

c.       Verifiable proof of prerequisites

d.    Successful completion of the course

 

When a course requires certification as a pre-requisite, accepted proof is a certificate from an agency accredited by either Pro Board or IFSAC.

 

When the prerequisite is proof of training, a completion document signed by the agency who conducted the training or other verifiable documentation of that training kept in the normal course of business of that organization is required.

 

First Responder is a prerequisite for the FFI/II, Volunteer 160, and Rescue Technician. This requirement can be met by one of the following:


a.   A certificate that can be verified from a prior course that meets or exceeds the DOT Medical First Responder course


b.    A copy of current EMT Basic, Intermediate, or Paramedic license successfully completing an AFC approved field or on campus course.


Introduction to Technical Rescue (Chapter 5 of NFPA 1006) is a prerequisite for all Rescue Technician courses. This requirement can be met by one of the following:


a. Successfully completing the Introduction to Technical Rescue approved through the AFC


b.    A certificate or completion document that can be validated that states that the JPRs required in Chapter 5 of NFPA 1006 have been successfully completed.


Re-Entry Certification Requirements

1.The Requirements for certification upon re-entry into the fire service: 

 

a.   Any individual who is certified and leaves the fire service for a period in excess of one (1) year may be recertified as follows: 

 

i.    Any individual having not less than three (3) years continuous service immediately preceding the date of termination, may challenge the state certification examination for Fire Fighter I and if applicable Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations. 

 

ii.   Any individual having less than three (3) years continuous service immediately preceding the date of termination or any individual who fails in the challenge of the certification examination shall comply with the training requirements for the trainee as prescribed in the Code of Alabama 36-32-7 and these Rules and Regulations.  

 

iii.   Any individual who has left the fire service for a period of five (5) years or longer from the date of termination shall comply with the training requirements for the trainee as prescribed in the Code of Alabama 36-32-7 and these Rules and Regulations. 

 

iv.  The requirements for recertification shall not be construed as to preclude any employing agency from requiring any individual to complete any training required by the employing agency.