January 21, 2022
DES MOINES, IOWA - The Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of State Fire Marshal, is pleased to announce that the Fire Service Training Bureau has received full accreditation from the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard®). The purpose of the ProBoard® is to establish an internationally-recognized means of acknowledging professional achievement in the fire service. It's primary goal is the accreditation of agencies that certify firefighters, both volunteer and career.
“Receiving full accreditation from ProBoard® demonstrates that the Fire Service Training Bureau’s policies, procedures, and processes meet national standards in regards to the training and certification of Iowa’s firefighters” stated John Kraemer, Fire Service Training Bureau Chief. “Agencies that achieve ProBoard® accreditation are recognized as having met the rigors of review by an independent, third-party organization. This third-party independent review is the best way to assure candidates and governance bodies that the agency’s program meets national standards.”
Added Iowa State Fire Marshal Dan Wood, “This is a monumental accomplishment not only for the Fire Service Training Bureau but also for fire service in the State of Iowa."
The accreditation process for the Fire Service Training Bureau began with the submission of an application package several months ago, including completion of a detailed self-assessment document. The application package was then reviewed by members of the Committee on Accreditation (COA) for completeness and compliance with the accreditation criteria of the ProBoard®. A site visit was completed on December 8-9, 2021 by a team of COA members, who performed an extensive on-site review of the agency’s facilities, education, training, testing and certification processes. Multiple fire service stakeholders from across the state were also interviewed by this team as part of the site visit. The site visit team prepared a report and presented it to the COA, who decided that full accreditation be granted.
“Receiving this accreditation, along with already having accreditation from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) ensures that our program complies with the standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)," stated Gary Howard, Certification and Accreditation Manager of the Fire Service Training Bureau.
The Fire Service Training Bureau is one of only a handful of firefighter training and certification entities to have earned dual accreditation by both the ProBoard® and the IFSAC.
The Fire Service Training Bureau is designated by statute to be the State Fire Academy. It has been training Iowa’s firefighters and other emergency service responders since 1923, and is home to the second-longest continually running annual state fire school in the nation. The Bureau coordinates and instructs many basic and advanced level courses at our facility and also locally across the state in the subject matter areas of firefighting, hazardous materials, vehicle extrication, technical rescue, instructor development, officer development, fire prevention, traffic incident management (TIMS), and fire investigation among others.
PHOTO: Gary Howard, Certification and Accreditation Manager of the Fire Service Training Bureau
ABOUT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It includes six divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, and Administrative Services Division. The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.
Iowa Department of Public Safety
215 E 7th St
Des Moines IA 50319
https://dps.iowa.gov