Firefighter Certification

Firefighter Certifications

According to the NFPA’s U.S. fire department profile, there are an estimated 30,125 fire departments in the United States. Of these, 2,495 departments are all-career, 1,860 are mostly career, 5,290 are mostly volunteer and 20,480 are all-volunteer. In other words, 70% of all firefighters in America are volunteers, which equates to 768,150 fire and emergency service responders.

Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue very comprehensive training systems, professional qualifications and certifications, meet or exceed state and/or national certifications in many areas.  Meeting these requirements can be difficult in rural communities served by vounteers.  Inter-Canyon firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics invest hunderds of hours in training before ever responding to your call for assistance.

All of the vounteer firefighters serving Inter-Canyon are certified at the Colorado Firefighter I or Firefighter II level and have at least Emergency Medical Responder Certification.  Our firefighters then move into specialized certifications in areas such as Hazardous Materials, High Angle Rescue, Emergency Medical Services and Wildland firefighting.

To apply for Colorado certification the applicant must meet the general requirements of the state. These requirements include being a resident of the state and possessing a valid driver's license. General requirements to become a firefighter include passing a criminal background check. Individuals should also expect to meet the physical requirements for the job, such as running and lifting.

Firefighter Voluntary Certification Program

The Colorado Voluntary Firefighter Certification Program for Fire Fighters is now required for all firefighters within the state, including volunteer firefighters, though the title of the program continues to hold the former wording. This certification is to ensure that firefighters obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities to meet nationally recognized standards for the position. Training for certification is established by the National Fire Protection Association Standards for Professional Qualifications. Training subjects are offered according to the level of certification being obtained, such as Fire Fighter I (basic, entry level certification), driver operator, driver operator pumper, etc. Certifications must be renewed every three years through successful completion of each job performance requirement and submission of a renewal application.

Job Performance Requirements

Job Performance Requirements (JPRs)are used to prepare firefighting candidates for International Fire Service Accreditation testing. This testing is done to ensure that the candidate possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of a firefighter safely and within the standards of the National Fire Protection Association. The job performance requirements are tested through performance of tasks determined by the level of certification the individual holds. For Firefighter I, certification tasks include radio transmitting, donning and doffing equipment, search and rescue, salvage, cleaning and checking equipment, and inspecting the hose.