OSU FST Training Bulletin
October 2011
New Procedure on Course Prerequisites Takes Effect November 1
Many of FST’s courses have prerequisites – training which is intended to be completed prior to taking a course. There are several reasons for prerequisites. First, they ensure the student is prepared for the course and can be successful. Second, many courses involve skills which are a safety issue and must be performed correctly. For example, technical rescue courses build on skills learned in previous classes. If a class in the series is skipped the person may not be able to safely perform the skills being taught. Finally, in the certification courses offered by FST the NFPA standards have specific requirements to be able to be certified. For example, NFPA requires a person to have met the requirements for Fire Fighter I before they can take Fire Fighter II.
In the past course prerequisites have not been consistently enforced. This has resulted in many students not being able to be certified after completing a certification course. It has also resulted in some students getting into classes for which they were not prepared and then having to drop out or sometimes failing the class. In an effort to prevent these types of situations in the future, FST will begin requiring completion of prerequisites prior to being able to register for a course effective November 1. This will mainly impact certification courses such as Fire Fighter II, Fire Officer I, etc.
For example, a student wants to take a Fire Officer II course. However, they do not have a Fire Officer I certification. That student will not be allowed to register for the Fire Officer II course until they meet the prerequisite certification, i.e. Fire Officer I and Fire Instructor I.
If a student wishes to register for a course and the prerequisites were obtained through another agency, or if the prerequisite is not listed in FST’s data base, that student may submit a copy or other paperwork verifying completion of the prerequisite. The verification may be mailed or sent electronically. The respective program coordinator will determine if the submitted course meets the prerequisite. The copy of the prerequisite course certificate or other documentation must be submitted by the student at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the desired course.
For example, a fire fighter from out of state was hired by a department. The fire fighter also wants to take a Fire Officer II course. In this case, the student has Fire Officer I and Fire Instructor I certifications from University of Kansas Fire Service Training. The certification will be accepted and they will be allowed to register for the Fire Officer II course.
Similarly, an equivalency to a prerequisite may be accepted as meeting FST’s prerequisite. The student must submit enough information about the course so that the respective program coordinator can determine equivalency. All information must be submitted by the student at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the desired course.
Current prerequisites for certification courses are shown in Table 1. Prerequisites for other courses will be identified the future.
Table 1: Certification Course Prerequisites
| Course Title | Prerequisite(s) |
|---|---|
| Fire Fighter I |
|
| Fire Fighter II |
|
| Fire Instructor I |
|
| Fire Instructor II |
|
| Fire Officer I |
|
| Fire Officer II |
|
| Fire Inspector I |
|
| Hazardous Materials Awareness |
|
| Hazardous Materials Operations |
|
| Hazardous Materials Technician |
|
Contact FST Director Ed Kirtley if you have any questions about course prerequisites. He can be reached at 800.304.5727 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
