ED KAPLAN IS OBSESSED WITH FIREFIGHTER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

He is the architect of the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) initiative started 12 years ago at the National Fire Academy (click HERE for related article). He has encouraged, cajoled and conceptualized the concept of linking training with academic achievement and professional development.

In a series of posts on the FESHE FaceBook page, Ed excitedly shares developments from meetings he had at the IAFC Fire-Rescue International Conference in Dallas this week.

KAPLAN'S REPORT (edited for clarity, see the FESHE facebook (HERE) for original posts)

Reporting from Dallas at FRI. FEMA Director Fugate said he's "going to put the 'fire' back in the U. S. Fire Administration." He and new Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran were a great one-two combination of speakers. Major progress on standardizing professional development happened today.

I met with Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE website) which announced a new fire officer designation program based on the National Professional Development Model (see NPDM webpage/presentation HERE) Fire Officer I & II competencies. Complete them with requisite experience & you're a designated CPSE Fire Officer.

Also in the meeting was IAFC Professional Development committee and NFPA Pro-Board managers, the latter who announced testing for certification is no longer the only means to achieve it. You can now use portfolio development combining education, training & experience.

THIS IS A BIG DEAL as it enables education to apply towards your certification, particularly NFPA 1021 while crosswalking with the competencies in the NPDM. Next step is follow up video conference to add new columns in matrix for Chief Fire Officer Designation at Fire Officer III and IV.

FESHE Schools: In addition to adopting the model fire science curriculum, the time has come to require the general education courses prescribed in NPDM and provide your students a competency-based education that prepares them for CPSE Fire Officer I & II designation AND NFPA 1021 certification.

I invited CPSE, PDC & NFPA to present this united front at FESHE conf next year. A standardized professional development system is nearly at hand!

FESHE students: Your Fire and Emergency Service career development path is now clearly laid out for you.

Take as many of those general education courses in the NPDM as you can & you'll be eligible for Chief Fire Officer & Fire Officer designations AND NFPA 1021 certification with minimum to no duplications of effort.

Welcome to the new day of inter-operability for professional development where training, education & certification are integrated like radios & hoses on a major multi-alarm, mutual aid fire.

FIRE OFFICERS AS PROFESSIONALS

I share Kaplan's excitement at these developments. These are huge steps forward in establishing fire officers as a national profession and not a local vocation. Expanding the Center for Public Safety Excellence portfolio process for company officers and tying formal education and experience to the credentialling process is brilliant!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward