Curriculum and Certification Updates
The Alabama Fire College is accredited by IFSAC and ProBoard to 75 levels. While these 75 levels provide an avenue for our students to achieve certification in many areas, it also comes with its own set of challenges. One being that for the AFC to maintain accreditation, we must almost continually modify our curriculum, training, and testing processes to adhere to the National Fire Protection Association standards when the NFPA standards change, which is approximately every five years.
Download a printable copyAirport Fire Fighter (Release date: June 1, 2026)
The NFPA 1010 is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that consolidates previous professional qualification standards for firefighters into a single document. It combines NFPA 1001, NFPA 1002, NFPA 1003, and NFPA 1005 to establish criteria for various fire service personnel, including the Alabama Fire College’s Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Airport Fire Fighter, Marine Fire Fighter, and Fire Apparatus Operator: ARFF, Pumper, Aerial, and Mobile Water supply programs.
The textbook for Airport Fire Fighter will change to IFSTA’s Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting, 7th Ed.
Fire Apparatus Operator (Release date: June 1, 2026)
The NFPA 1010 is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that consolidates previous professional qualification standards for firefighters into a single document. It combines NFPA 1001, NFPA 1002, NFPA 1003, and NFPA 1005 to establish criteria for various fire service personnel, including the Alabama Fire College’s Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Airport Fire Fighter, Marine Fire Fighter, and Fire Apparatus Operator: ARFF, Pumper, Aerial, and Mobile Water supply programs.
The textbook for Fire Apparatus Operator: Aerial, Mobile Water Supply, Pumper, and Emergency Vehicle Driver will change to IFSTA’s Pumping & Aerial Apparatus Driver/Operator Handbook, 4th Ed.
The textbook for Fire Apparatus Operator: Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting will change to IFSTA’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, 7th Ed.
Fire Fighter and Volunteer Fire Fighter (Release date: June 1, 2026)
The NFPA 1010 is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that consolidates previous professional qualification standards for firefighters into a single document. It combines NFPA 1001, NFPA 1002, NFPA 1003, and NFPA 1005 to establish criteria for various fire service personnel, including the Alabama Fire College’s Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Airport Fire Fighter, Marine Fire Fighter, and Fire Apparatus Operator: ARFF, Pumper, Aerial, and Mobile Water supply programs.
This update will also apply to Volunteer Fire Fighter, Fire Fighter I/II Recruit School, Fire Fighter I/II Bridge, and Fire Fighter Recertification.
The textbook for Volunteer Fire Fighter, Fire Fighter I/II Recruit School, Fire Fighter I/II Bridge and Fire Fighter I Recertification will change to IFSTA’s Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Ed.
Fire Support Person (Release date: June 1, 2026)
This is a new course.
Marine Fire Fighter (Release date: June 1, 2026)
The NFPA 1010 is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that consolidates previous professional qualification standards for firefighters into a single document. It combines NFPA 1001, NFPA 1002, NFPA 1003, and NFPA 1005 to establish criteria for various fire service personnel, including the Alabama Fire College’s Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Airport Fire Fighter, Marine Fire Fighter, and Fire Apparatus Operator: ARFF, Pumper, Aerial, and Mobile Water supply programs.
The textbook for Marine Fire Fighter will not change. It will remain IFSTA’s Marine Firefighting for Land-Based Firefighters, 3rd Ed.
Fire and Emergency Services Instructor (Potential release date: Fall 2026)
NFPA 1020 Fire and Emergency Services Instructor series I-III will be updated to the 2025 Edition.
Fire Officer (Potential release date: Fall 2026)
NFPA 1020 Fire Officer series I-IV will be updated to the 2025 Edition.
Live Fire Instructor / Instructor-in-Charge (Potential release date: Fall 2026)
NFPA 1020 Live Fire Instructor / Instructor-in-Charge will be updated to the 2025 Edition.
Facility Fire Brigade (Potential release date: Summer 2026)
NFPA 1081 Standard for Facility Fire Brigade Member Professional Qualifications will be updated to the 2024 Edition.
- Incipient Facility Fire Brigade Member
- Advanced Exterior Facility Fire Brigade Member
- Interior Structural Facility Fire Brigade Member
- Facility Fire Brigade Support Persons
- Facility Fire Brigade Leader
Fire Department Safety Officer (Release date: June 1, 2026)
NFPA 1550 Standard for Emergency Responder Health & Safety will be updated to the 2024 Edition.
The textbook for Fire Department Safety Officer: Health & Safety Officer will change to Jones & Bartlett’s Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services, Revised 5th Ed.
The textbook for Fire Department Safety Officer: Incident Safety Officer will change to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, 4th Ed.
Fire Inspector Series
This series will be changing from three separate 40-hour classes, Fire Inspector I, II, & III to two separate courses First Responder Inspector and Fire Inspector.
First Responder Inspector will be 24-hour course consisting of three 8-hour days.
Fire Inspector will be an 80-hour course consisting of 20 hours of pre-course work, five 8-hour days in class, and 20 hours of post course work. The new book and Curriculum for these courses will be IFSTA’s, Fire Inspection and Code Enforcement, Ninth Edition. Fire Inspector I, II, and III classes will continue to be delivered until December 2024. First Responder Inspector will be a Department Delivery course and Fire Inspector will be an RTC/Campus Delivery course
Plans Examiner I
Plans Examiner I will be changing to Fire Plans Examiner. It will remain a 40-hour course, but the new prerequisite will be Fire Inspector III or the new Fire Inspector Class. The current book will continue to be used.
Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II
Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II will be changing to Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II will remain two 24-hour courses. The book will change to the IFSTA’s, Fire and Life Safety Educator, Fourth Edition.
Public information Officer
Public information Officer will remain a 24-hour course and the new book for the course will be the FPP’s, Public Information Officer, Second edition.