REMINDER: Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and be a member of a Kentucky FD or a full-time student of Fire Science at EKU or KCTCS to be eligible for firefighter testing. Candidates must bring state issued drivers license or ID card to skills testing site for positive identification and verification of age eligibility. Candidates under 18, may complete any of the written exams, and may certify to Haz Mat Awareness only.
     All Certifications are based on the Professional Qualification standards set forth by the NFPA for Firefighters, except Haz Mat, which is a Job Performance standard. Our accreditation is through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). This accredited certification is issued by the Governors Commission on Fire Protection, Personnel Standards and Education, commonly known as the Kentucky Fire Commission. Kentucky currently holds accreditation in 9 certification levels, those certifications being: Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 (NFPA 1001-2002), Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations (NFPA 472-2002), Driver/Operator Pumper, Mobile Water Supply and Aerial (NFPA 1002-2003), Airport Fire Fighter (NFPA 1003-2000) and Fire Instructor 1 (NFPA 1041-2002).
     Kentucky honors reciprocity of other entity accredited certifications on a case by case basis. Kentucky does NOT honor certifications that were obtained through "grandfathering or implication". Firefighters with accredited certifications from outside Kentucky, who certified through a testing of cognitive knowledge and practical application, may receive a non-accredited Kentucky Firefighter Certification through reciprocity. Three (3) Kentucky specific training courses, consisting of 20 hours training, must be completed in addition to the out-of-state accredited certification to qualify the candidate for Kentucky certification. Those courses are Kentucky Firefighter Survival (8 hrs), Kentucky Firefighter Rescue (8 hrs) and Kentucky Wildland Firefighting Awareness (4 hrs). All 3 course are available through the office of an Area Coordinator of State Fire Rescue Training.