Qualified Instructor Upgrades provide individuals who are currently qualified to instruct North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification programs with important updates to certification standards, curriculum, policies, procedures, and instructional requirements.
Qualified Instructor Upgrades are required periodically to ensure qualified instructors remain current with changes affecting North Carolina's fire and rescue certification system.
Anyone who currently holds a qualified instructor status for one or more North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification programs must complete the required Qualified Instructor Upgrade to maintain their instructor qualification.
2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade
- The 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade will be conducted in person from October 1 through December 31, 2026, as a direct delivery by OSFM staff.
- More than 140 sessions will be offered at locations across North Carolina during the upgrade period.
- All currently qualified North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission instructors, regardless of the certification program or programs they are qualified to teach, are required to complete the 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade.
- Completion of one Fall 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade session will satisfy the upgrade requirements for all applicable Instructor, Proctor, Driver/Operator, and Fire Officer qualifications.
- There is no written test and no practical skills evaluation associated with the upgrade.
Schedule and Registration
More than 140 Qualified Instructor Upgrade sessions will be offered statewide between October 1 and December 31, 2026. Sessions will be posted on the OSFM Training Schedule as they become available.
Pre-registration through OSFM24 is required.
To register:
- Log in to OSFM 24
- Select Fire and Rescue Training Registration under your Personal Records tile
- Verify your contact information
- Select an available date, time, and location for 04B1000 – Instructor 2026 Upgrade
- Submit your registration
Additional sessions will be added to the Training Schedule as they are scheduled.
Additional Program-Specific Upgrades – Spring 2027
- In addition to the Fall 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade, instructors who are qualified to teach Firefighter, Marine Firefighting, Airport Firefighter, or Live Fire will be required to complete additional program-specific upgrades planned for Spring 2027.
- These Spring 2027 upgrades are separate from the Fall 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade.
- Instructors qualified in these programs must still complete one Fall 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade session between October 1 and December 31, 2026.
Additional information regarding the Spring 2027 upgrades, including dates, locations, and registration information, will be posted as it becomes available.
FAQs
Anyone who currently holds a qualified instructor status for one or more North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification programs must complete the required Qualified Instructor Upgrade to maintain their qualification.
Holding an Instructor I or Instructor II certification alone does not require attendance at a Qualified Instructor Upgrade. This requirement applies to individuals who have completed the qualification process and are currently qualified to instruct a Fire and Rescue Commission certification program.
Qualified Instructor Upgrade sessions provide information instructors need to remain current with North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification requirements.
Depending on the upgrade, topics may include:
- Changes to applicable NFPA standards
- Changes to certification requirements
- New, revised, or removed Job Performance Requirements (JPRs)
- Updates to curriculum and instructional materials
- Changes to skill sheets and required skills
- Changes to course administration and delivery requirements
- Fire and Rescue Commission policy and procedural updates
- Other information affecting qualified instructors and certification course delivery
No. There is no written test or practical skills evaluation associated with a Qualified Instructor Upgrade.
A Qualified Instructor Upgrade is not Instructor Qualification Testing. It is an informational update for instructors who are already qualified.
Attendance and completion of the required Qualified Instructor Upgrade are necessary to maintain instructor qualification.
Qualified instructors must complete required Qualified Instructor Upgrades to maintain their instructor qualifications.
Beginning with any Qualified Instructor Upgrade required after October 1, 2026, failure to attend a required upgrade will result in the inability to requalify through any future Qualified Instructor Upgrade.
Because failure to complete a required upgrade can affect an instructor's ability to maintain qualifications in the future, qualified instructors should ensure they complete each required upgrade within the established timeframe.
More than 140 Qualified Instructor Upgrade sessions will be offered statewide between October 1 and December 31, 2026. Sessions will be posted on the OSFM Training Schedule as they become available.
Pre-registration through OSFM24 is required.
To register:
- Log in to OSFM 24
- Select Fire and Rescue Training Registration under your Personal Records tile
- Verify your contact information
- Select an available date, time, and location for 04B1000 – Instructor 2026 Upgrade
- Submit your registration
Additional sessions will be added to the Training Schedule as they are scheduled.
Qualified Instructor Upgrades ensure instructors remain current with changes affecting North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification programs. Updates may include changes to NFPA standards, certification requirements, curriculum, skills, policies, procedures, and course delivery requirements.
The content will focus on changes and information that currently qualified instructors need to continue delivering Fire and Rescue Commission certification programs. Topics may include updates to NFPA standards, Job Performance Requirements (JPRs), curriculum and instructional materials, skill sheets, certification requirements, policies, procedures, and course administration.
No. The 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade will be conducted in person as a direct delivery by OSFM staff.
Sessions will be offered from October through December 2026.
Yes. Qualified instructors may register for an available session that best meets their schedule and location needs. Pre-registration is required.