National Fire Academy

Curriculum – Responder Health and Safety

This two-day course is designed to assist emergency services personnel in defining and advocating organizational change within the fire service relating to safety.

• Safety and risk cultures within organizations.
• Influences on safety culture and risk categories.
• Concepts, goals, and processes of risk management.
• The course incorporates facilitated student-centered methodologies including lecture, small & large group activities, and individual assessments.

Selection Criteria

• Fire and rescue personnel with an interest in changing culture in his or her organization.
• Interested individuals and community people who are responsible for risk management.

Prerequisites: Incident Command System (ICS)-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463.

Curriculum – Incident Management

This two-day course will provide students with an understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS) and resource management for the fire service and their application in both emergency and nonemergency situations. This course addresses the need for an ICS, an overview of the structure and flexibility of ICS, an understanding of the command skills necessary to function effectively in an ICS structure, and the need to effectively manage your resources.

Selection Criteria

• All first responders with responsibilities to use, deploy, implement and/or function within ICS and resource management.

Prerequisites: Recommended – Incident Command System (ICS)-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463.

Curriculum: Leadership and Executive Development

Curriculum: Planning & Information Management

This two-day course is designed to help fire and emergency services learn what community risk reduction is and how to build organizational support for it. This course will address the challenges that fire departments face in shifting their priorities from response to prevention. In many departments, community risk reduction is still considered a low priority. This course will show you how community risk reduction can help you and your department become more of a community player in times of decreased budgets.

This course includes three units of instruction:

Unit 1: Components of Community Risk Reduction.

Unit 2: Community Risk Reduction as a Service Priority.

Unit 3: Building Organizational Support for Community Risk Reduction.

Selection Criteria

Fire and emergency services personnel who want to learn about community risk reduction.

Fire and emergency services personnel who are currently involved with fire prevention and have an interest in advancing risk-reduction efforts in their community.

Prerequisites: Incident Command System (ICS)-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463.

Curriculum: Leadership and Executive Development

This two-day course presents the supervisory with the basic leadership skills and tools needed to perform effectively in the fire service environment. The course includes concepts related to a successful transition to supervisory and leadership roles, including concepts of adaptive leadership; change management; active followership; effective communication, including difficult conversations and advocacy-inquiry based dialogue; ethics; authority; power; decision-making; and active engagement through development of a personal plan.

Selection Criteria

The primary target audience for this course are those individuals who are at the first line level of supervision. For purposes of student selection first line level is considered to be those at the Company Officer or Unit (fire prevention, fire education, communications, EMS, etc.) Supervisor level. More specifically primary selection criteria are as follows:

• First line supervisors in fire and emergency medical services organizations.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel due for promotion/appointment to a first line supervisory position within 18 months.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel who are regularly assigned acting supervisory positions.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel currently enrolled in the NFA Managing Officer will be provided priority selection.

The secondary target audiences are fire and EMS personnel at the first line management level (Chief Officer or above). Students at this level may be given consideration on a space available basis.

Prerequisites: ICS-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463, available through NFA Online. Chief's signature attests that the applicant has completed this required training.

Curriculum: Leadership and Executive Development

This two-day course provides the supervisor with the conceptual foundation and framework for success in leadership roles by exploring creative, analytical, political and critical thinking perspectives. The course addresses skills needed for assessing situations from multiple perspectives, making critical decisions, fostering creativity and innovation, and using persuasion.

Selection Criteria

The primary target audience for this course are those individuals who are at the first line level of supervision. For purposes of student selection first line level is considered to be those at the Company Officer or Unit (fire prevention, fire education, communications, EMS, etc.) Supervisor level. More specifically primary selection criteria are as follows:

• First line supervisors in fire and emergency medical services organizations.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel due for promotion/appointment to a first line supervisory position within 18 months.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel who are regularly assigned acting supervisory positions.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel currently enrolled in the NFA Managing Officer will be provided priority selection.

The secondary target audiences are fire and EMS personnel at the first line management level (Chief Officer or above). Students at this level may be given consideration on a space available basis.

Prerequisites: ICS-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463, available through NFA Online. Chief's signature attests that the applicant has completed this required training.

Curriculum: Leadership and Executive Development

This two-day course provides the supervisor with the knowledge and skills to perform successfully in the fire and Emergency Medical Services environments. The course addresses professionalism, resilience, emotional intelligence, and situational awareness, as well as managing conflict, delegating mentoring, coaching, empowering, and building collaboration and synergy for professional growth.

Selection Criteria

The primary target audience for this course are those individuals who are at the first line level of supervision. For purposes of student selection first line level is considered to be those at the Company Officer or Unit (fire prevention, fire education, communications, EMS, etc.) Supervisor level. More specifically primary selection criteria are as follows:

• First line supervisors in fire and emergency medical services organizations.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel due for promotion/appointment to a first line supervisory position within 18 months.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel who are regularly assigned acting supervisory positions.
• Fire and emergency medical services personnel currently enrolled in the NFA Managing Officer will be provided priority selection.

The secondary target audiences are fire and EMS personnel at the first line management level (Chief Officer or above). Students at this level may be given consideration on a space available basis.

Prerequisites: ICS-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q0462 and Q0463, available through NFA Online. Chief's signature attests that the applicant has completed this required training.

Curriculum: Responder Health and Safety

This two-day course will provide fire, Emergency Medical Services department personnel and other related emergency responders with the aptitudes and abilities necessary to manage the duties and responsibilities of the Health and Safety Program Manager (HSPM) within their respective organizations.

• Adapt the HSPM roles and responsibilities while applying risk management health and safety concepts within their organization to determine system-wide needs and to develop support to institutionalize opportunities to meet the needs assessment.
• Evaluate and prioritize health and safety related strengths and weaknesses within their organizations.
• Evaluate the environmental barriers affecting the implementation and impact of the organization's safety and health programs.
• Evaluate and integrate the organization's and individual's responsibility to impact health and wellness positively.

Selection Criteria

• Individuals who have department-level health and safety responsibilities and responsibility for setting policy for the department on such issues.
• Individuals attending this course should have working knowledge of the Incident Command System as taught by the National Fire Academy, working knowledge of applicable National Fire Protection Association and Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and recommendations.

Curriculum: Leadership and Executive Development

This two-day course presents a basic overview of a fire investigation. Students will review the basics of fire chemistry and develop an enhanced understanding with respect to fire suppression and fire investigation. The course will stress the importance of fire scene awareness, evidence identification, preservation, and the basics of a fire investigation. Students will develop an appreciation of the convergence of suppression, investigation, science, and law.

Selection Criteria

Fire and emergency services personnel who respond to fires or might conduct preliminary investigations into the origin and cause of fires.

Prerequisites: None