Overview of the OSU FST Advisory Committee
Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training (OSU FST) is a customer service agency serving the firefighters and other emergency responders of Oklahoma. OSU FST works cooperatively with many different state agencies, professional organizations, and training providers to meet its mission. Historically, program development and quality improvement have primarily been driven by staff and by the NFPA® professional qualifications standards. A strategy to align the elements of customer needs, program design and delivery, quality improvement, and stakeholder support is to use an advisory group to assist with strategic input and programmatic evaluation. In March of 2011 the OSU FST Advisory Committee was formed as part of that strategy.There are six elements to the purpose of the Advisory Committee.
- Provide input during strategic planning processes.
- Provide feedback on quality and effectiveness of current programs and services.
- Assist with input during development of new courses and services.
- Identify needed courses and services.
- Convene work groups to address special needs identified by OSU FST or stakeholders.
- Communicate the Advisory Committee’s activities to stakeholder groups.
Every effort is made to ensure that all segments of the Oklahoma fire service are represented on the Advisory Committee. Members are:
knowledgeable of OSU FST programs and services,
current or former instructors, training officers, fire chiefs, and program administrators responsible for the design, delivery, or administration of local training programs,
a fair representation of geographic regions and department sizes, and
able to be professionally critical during the committee process, focus on issues, provide relevant recommendations, and support the purpose statement of the Advisory Committee.
Composition of the committee includes at least these representatives.
- One (1) rural fire coordinator
- One (1) Career Technology Center fire service training program manager
- One (1) representative from the Oklahoma City or Tulsa Fire Departments
- One (1) member from each of the four (4) geographic areas of the state
- One (1) training officer or chief officer from a volunteer fire department
- One (1) training officer or chief officer from a career or combination fire department
- One (1) representative of the Fire Service Instructors of Oklahoma
- One (1) representative of the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
Advisory Committee meetings are held quarterly. Meeting agendas and minutes are available on the OSU FST website: www.osufst.org. For more information on the Advisory Committee, call 800-304-5727.
