State Fire Marshal Matt Perez and Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) Director Royal Mortenson announced today an intergovernmental agreement that streamlines the process for Illinois firefighters who complete IFSI courses to receive state certification. Under the terms of the agreement, the IFSI will be granted state certification equivalency for its end-of-course examinations. This will eliminate the requirement imposed upon Illinois firefighters who attended IFSI courses to take both a final end-of-course examination and an OSFM examination in order to receive state certification.
State Fire Marshal Perez stated “The Illinois legislature has mandated that the firefighters of Illinois receive training from the Fire Service Institute and certifications from the Office of the State Fire Marshal in order for them to operate smarter, safer and more effectively. The closer alignment of these two state agencies will offer unparalleled quality in fire service education. I look forward to continuing work with Director Mortenson to maximize the capabilities of both our agencies.”
Director Mortenson says “This agreement is the product of the close working relationship between the OSFM and IFSI, our shared responsibilities, and our shared commitment to provide Illinois firefighters the best training possible as well as making access to state certification as easy as possible.”
The OSFM is mandated under the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act (50 ILCS 740) to select and certify a training program at the IFSI for Illinois firefighters. The IFSI is mandated under the Illinois Fire Service Institute Act (110 ILCS 365) to provide firefighters, department officers, and other persons opportunities to comply with the OSFM state certification program.
Both state agencies are members of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF) which provides the governor information and recommendations specifically related to Illinois fire service response capabilities and firefighter training. In addition to state certification equivalency, the IFSI is accredited by two international third-party organizations (The Pro Board Fire Service Professional Qualification System and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress) to deliver accredited certification programs.
The agreement will take effect on January 1, 2018. All IFSI end of course examinations taken after this date that are submitted for state certification will receive OSFM equivalency status.
