NBFSPQ

National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NBFSPQ)

Over the past twenty years, the fire services of the United States and Canada have matured into professional organizations of the highest caliber. Of central importance to this evolution has been the certification of members to professional qualifications standards, standards which are internationally recognized to be the best in existence.

As a fire service member, you will enjoy the unparalleled experience of measuring yourself successfully against your peers. Professional qualifications standards have been developed by persons performing your job to accurately measure both knowledge and the ability to perform competently. Your sense of accomplishment will be recognized both by your department as you seek advancement, and by other departments should you seek to transfer within the fire service. Certification is a statement of success, an indisputable mark of performance belonging to the individual member.

Accreditation is commonly provided at the State or Provincial level, so it is important that your state or province be a part of the NBFSPQ System. Contact our office to find out if you are in an accredited state, or how your state can join.

Certification is available to all members of the fire service. It is the only opportunity to join the greater fire service community of professional men and women who have made the commitment to excellence which will carry us into the next century and beyond.

The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications system was founded on October 25, 1972, by the Joint Council of Fire Service Organizations. In December of that year, the NBFSPQ asked the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to establish four Technical Committees to develop minimum standards for fire fighter, fire instructor, fire investigator, and fire officer.

Prior to the initiation of these peerdriven committees, professional standards did not exist for the fire service. For this important mission, the NFPA charged its committees with the task of creating "performance standards in such a clear and concise manner that they can be used to determine, without doubt, that any person so measured does truly possess the skills" required.

The NBFSPQ was developed as a careful system of checks and balances to oversee organizations requesting the accreditation authority to certify fire service personnel to national standards. It was the NBFSPQ's duty to see that the entire process from state to state was carried out in a scrupulously fair and equitable manner.

Why is it important for a training agency to be accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications? Professionalism has long been a goal sought by the fire service but it has only been within the past 20 years that a system has evolved to produce national professional qualifications standards that your agency can use to establish performance measures for your training programs and for the individuals you train. As in any training activity, an independent set of criteria reviewed by outside experts is the only way to assure your customers and your governing bodies that your program meets the national standards. It is a "value added" element to your program that will help justify your budget and may be helpful in litigation or when your program is being challenged for whatever reason.

How will my training program be accredited?
The Committee on Accreditation (COA) of the NBFSPQ will work closely with your agency to help establish the criteria and procedures necessary to meet the rigorous requirements for accreditation. First and foremost, you must be using nationally recognized professional qualifications consensus standards such as the "Pro Qual" standards promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association. These spell out the performance criteria for an individual trainee. Most training academies or agencies are already using the NFPA Pro Qual Standards. The COA will then make a site visit to your training program to verify that all criteria are being met and that testing is being administered correctly.

Is there any cost to this initial accreditation process and COA visit?
The review of your self-study application and general assistance are free of charge. For the initial site visit and subsequent reaccreditation visits (approximately every five years), the training agency will be expected to help underwrite the direct travel and per diem expenses of the two person site team. In all cases, the members of the Committee on Accreditation donate their time free of charge. This is their contribution to increasing the professionalism of the fire service.

Why it is important for an individual in the fire service to be certified?
A little bit of background is necessary. Professionalism has long been a goal sought by the fire service. Professional qualifications standards are now available for fire fighter, fire officer and eight other fire service job categories. Each successful candidate for certification knows that he or she has been measured against peers, and meets or exceeds rigorous professional standards.

So why is it advantageous for an individual to become certified under these national standards?
First and foremost, it provides recognition that you have demonstrated proficiency and an ability to do the job in accordance with nationally recognized peer standards. In addition, it provides a common yardstick and a level playing field for all fire service personnel regardless of your status as a career or volunteer or the size of your department. Your achievement will be recognized by fire service experts throughout North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.

What about my fire department?
Fire services, like all branches of government, compete for resources. A high percentage of certified members within your department should certainly help fire department managers in their pursuit of adequate funding at budget time. Such organizations possess a commitment to excellence. In addition, the credibility of your fire service organization is certainly enhanced by having members accredited to national consensus standards. It is a wonderful marketing tool.

In summary, the fire service has come of age with other professions and it is time to demonstrate your commitment and proficiency by seeking national professional certification. Thousands have already successfully met the professional requirements of the national standards, and you can also.

The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualification system relies on the integrity and credibility of those organizations to which it has given certification oversight. As the system has evolved, the NBFSPQ prefers to have certification reside with a single entity within each state or province, although there are several different models that have been accepted into the NPQS system. Individual agencies or groups wishing to participate National Professional Qualification System, must successfully participate in a twofold accreditation process.

The process begins when a training agency seeks accreditation and admission to the system. A selfstudy document intended to cause the applicant to look internally at its organization and operations is provided. The document mandates that, at the very least, the applying organization state how it meets or exceeds the criteria for accreditation and certification. Sensitive to the variety and scope of fire service groups seeking the accreditation privilege, training organizations are encouraged to explore the many, alternative methods available to satisfying the accreditation criteria.

Once the selfstudy document is completed and submitted to the NBFSPQ Committee on Accreditation, it is examined for completeness and general adherence to the criteria. The Chair of the Committee on Accreditation will then assign a site visit team and team leader.

The site visitation team meets with and interviews individuals and representatives of the trainees that are to be served by the applicant. For example, the leaders of fire chiefs' organizations, labor groups, and volunteer associations may be interviewed. The team generally reviews testing facilities and, if possible, observes the administration of a test. It is the responsibility of the Committee on Accreditation team, working with the training agency, to verify and clarify statements made in the selfstudy document. During the final interview with the agency, the COA site team presents its findings and makes any pertinent recommendations. In order to streamline the process, the site team must present its findings and recommendations to the Committee on Accreditation at its next scheduled meeting. A vote on the application is then taken.

It should be noted that it is the belief of the NBFSPQ that demonstrated proficiency in the performance objectives is critically important. The accreditation process is concerned with testing both written and performance objectives. How an individual comes to be proficient, through whatever means of training and education, is not as crucial as demonstrated competency.

For more information, contact:
National Board On Fire Service
Professional Qualifications
P O Box 690632
Quincy, MA 02269
Telephone: (617) 984-7474
E-mail: nbfspq@nfpa.org
Web site for National Professional Qualifications System