The International Society of Fire Service Instructors, known collectively as the Society, announced the launch of the Fire Training Certification Program (Fire TCP), a new certification program that aims to elevate the quality standards of training courses made available to firefighters. The announcement was made at the Society’s Fall Instructor Development Conference 2016, held in Cincinnati September 27 through October 1.
Launched with the support and technical expertise of Envisage Technologies, Fire TCP is a revolutionary program designed to enhance standardization and quality within fire training. By setting minimum standards that training courses must meet prior to being certified as the highest quality for use in training programs, Fire TCP will be the benchmark that determines the quality of courses offered to firefighters. Fire TCP standards are designed to meet or exceed individual state certification requirements ensuring that certified training will be accepted by all participating fire service organizations. Acceptance of the standard will also enhance the portability of training in the fire service, allowing firefighters to more easily transfer their training when changing departments, saving time and money through the elimination of re-training costs. Prior to Fire TCP, no standard system for certifying training courses existed, though there are similar programs that certify testing for fire service personnel.
Courses subject to certification are screened by industry subject matter experts and must meet a set of predetermined certification criteria in order to earn the Fire TCP seal. Courses certified through Fire TCP will be available through an international catalog hosted on Envisage Technologies’ FirstForward® training network. By compiling certified courses, Fire TCP fundamentally improves access to quality training, reduces costs, and improves training efficiency.
“I believe that Fire TCP is a catalyst that will lead to significant improvement in the quality of training provided to the fire service. Quality training keeps firefighters safe and departmental costs down. The Society remains committed to ensuring that only the best training is available to our firefighters on the front lines,” said Steve Pegram, President of the Society.
“I am pleased that the Society has been so highly involved in creating this new standard of quality for training courses,” stated Leigh Hubbard, Executive Director of the Society. “The Fire TCP seal on training courses means not only that the training is of the highest quality, but also that that training will be accepted across a wide geographical area as states and local departments begin to embrace the standard.”
“It is an honor to help launch this important initiative, and I look forward to seeing the positive effects that Fire TCP will undoubtedly have on the industry,” added Envisage CEO, Ari Vidali. “Envisage is deeply committed to the safety of our first responders and we are passionate about providing easy access to training programs that have met the highest quality standards in the nation. To accomplish this goal, we have launched FirstForward, the nation’s only platform where firefighters can access certified training from the best providers in the industry.”
As of the date of this release, Fire TCP is accepting applications from vendors interested in having their courses certified through the program. Further information may be found at www.firetcp.org.
