Certification Workshop Applications and Testing

Personal Information Documentation submitted to the Austin Certification Office requires personal information: Full Legal Name – reference to identify duplicates ID Number – required to speed up processing/eliminate crediting errors Last 4 digits of SSN – reference to identify duplicates Date of Birth – reference to identify duplicates and to identify “Junior” firefighters.

Application Forms Always download new applications from the SFFMA Certification website under “Certification Categories”. Certification changes go into effect January 1 each year pre-printed forms may not reflect changes. Applications with a revised date (found at bottom of form) over a year old may not be valid. Prices on the applications also changed on January 1, 2015. As soon as a trainee meets the minimum requirements, fax or e-mail the application form to the Austin Office. When everyone waits to submit applications until the end of the year, processing times increase considerably.

Application Forms Every application allows submission of an alternate name to print on the final certificate. Some forms allow application for multiple levels simultaneously. Be sure to clearly indicate at the top of the form which level(s) the submission covers. Application forms clearly list the minimum requirements for each certification. Fax or e-mail forms and supporting documentation to the Austin Office for faster processing. Austin Staff will reply with an itemized invoice for the necessary processing fees.

Application Forms Austin Staff review the following with each application submission: Annual membership dues for the department, Coordinator, and applicant are paid Department’s annual progress report has been submitted for review and/or acceptance. (NOTE: The report for the year 2015 is not yet available for submission and will not be due until at least the end of May 2016) All required personal information provided Coordinator has met workshop attendance requirement If provisional, Coordinator’s 5-year term has not expired Submitted documentation meets the minimum requirements

Application Forms Suggestion from the Certification Staff… “Don’t wait until the end of the year to submit applications, but submit them as soon as an applicant meets the minimum requirements. The number of applications up for review mid-year is lower, so we can review them much faster. Also, if a change to the minimum requirements goes into effect on January 1 and your mail is delayed for any reason, we won’t be able to issue the certificate.”

Application Forms Policy requires Austin Staff to place “on hold” any applications not meeting all requirements. Austin Staff immediately updates the online database with the new certification. Certificates are mailed to the Coordinator’s attention at the department address. All applications are digitized and retained on file at the Austin Office. Archived records go back to the mid-1970s.

Exam Availability Examination for full Firefighter I & II certification required as of January 1, 2015. Examinations for Driver/Operator to be available as of January 1, 2018. ProBoard, IFSAC, or TCFP examination results are accepted in place of SFFMA examinations. Documentation should be submitted to the Austin Staff through the department’s Coordinator.

Written Exams All written examination sessions are set up by your TEEX regional coordinators. Each TEEX region schedules at least four testing sessions every year. Additional sessions may be scheduled at the discretion of the TEEX regional coordinator. Eligibility verification and registration is maintained through the SFFMA Austin Office.

Skill Exams Contact the Austin Office to set up a skill exam date. Austin Staff will request the date and location of the exam session and notify your Zone Representative. The zone representative must be notified of the skills exam date. They have the option to attend and provide oversight.

Skill Exams Austin Staff will verify that the department’s Coordinator meets the minimum requirements to serve as a skill evaluator. In cases where the department’s Coordinator does not meet the minimum requirements, another individual from the department can serve as the lead evaluator as long as they meet the minimum requirements. If necessary Austin Staff will help locate an approved skill examiner in your area to help.

Skill Exams Two days ahead of the skill session, Austin Staff will e-mail all of the necessary documentation to the lead evaluator. At least one Firefighter I skill will be from SCBA. The skill sheet provides four scenarios and the lead evaluator may select any of them. Only one scenario is required for the examination. After the skill exam, the lead evaluator can scan or fax the documentation back to the Austin Office for review.

Skill Exams Skill evaluators must meet the following requirements: already have at least their full SFFMA Firefighter I or II certification, and can evaluate up to that level. document one of the following: minimum instructional requirements for a full Certification Coordinator completion of a Board-approved skill proctor course credentialed proctor of an approved emergency services training entity (TEEX or TCFP).

Skill Exams Lists of approved evaluators are provided upon request from the Austin Office. E-mail to certification@sffma.org to request a list at any time. Lists are updated continuously based on certification issuance and documentation submission.