Section 141.300  Firefighter II

An Illinois Firefighter II program meets or exceeds the level identified in NFPA 1001.  The term synonymous with Firefighter II is Operative Firefighter and identifies the expected level of supervision.

a)         Prerequisites.  A candidate for Firefighter II certification must be engaged in firefighting in an organized Illinois fire department as a fire protection person or trainee according to the Act as attested to by the employing Fire Chief of the individual seeking certification.

b)        Reimbursement may be received for training costs for a Firefighter II (see Subpart E).

c)         No specific hours of training or fire service experience is required; however, no person may take the State written examination for Firefighter II certification until the appropriately certified Fire Service Instructor (see Section 141.115(c)) and employing Fire Chief or his/her designee sign the Request for Examination Form.

d)         The Fire Service Instructor must meet the requirements of Section 141.115(c).

e)         The course and facility must be approved by the Office as provided in Sections 141.100 and 141.115.

f)          Modular Training

Firefighter II training can be taken in a series of modules or as a complete course.  The State written examination (see Section 141.200) can be taken by module or by taking the complete examination.  When an individual takes the examination by modules, the passed modules will be kept on file until all modules are passed.  If an individual is training by module, and then enters a training facility or a college program that instructs the complete program mode, any previously passed modules cannot be used to exempt any portion of the examination; the complete examination must be taken.  If an individual fails the complete examination, he or she may elect to then test using the modular system.  When an individual elects to be trained using the modular system, he or she may select the order of any module and its examination.  (See Section 141.200.)

g)         Firefighter II Certification

For certification as a Firefighter II, the firefighter trainee shall meet the job performance requirements in NFPA 1001, including requirements defined in Chapter 2, Competencies for the First Responder at the Awareness Level of NFPA 472, and NFPA 1500, as it applies to Firefighter II.

h)         Education and Training

1)         Employing fire department officials will determine when the education and training are to be received by the Firefighter II candidate.

2)         Employing fire department officials will determine when education, training and experience requirements have been met to be awarded the Firefighter II certificate.

3)         All requirements of the Office shall be met for each certification level before certificates will be issued.  This includes passing the State written examination and State practical skills examinations and submission of the course completion documentation and Application for Certification/Validation-Attestation to the Office.

i)          State Certification Practical Skills Examination

1)         Training facilities are responsible for administering the practical skills examinations prepared by the Office.

2)         Records and documented proof of such tests must be maintained by the training facility/employing fire department for audit purposes.  Training facilities are to acquire the identified equipment or to improvise where specific equipment is not available in the fire department or the mutual aid area to provide parallel learning experiences.

3)         Practical Skills Examinations

A)         All practical skills examinations are supplied by the Division.  The examination package consists of the lists of evolutions to be completed and the Practical Skills Examination Key.  The evaluation package contains an attestation by the employing Fire Chief or Training Facility Director and certified instructor that all tasks have been successfully completed, with each task requiring a score of 100%.

B)        The Application for Certification/Validation-Attestation shall be submitted to the Division before certification will be issued.

C)        The practical skills examinations and key shall be retained in the employing fire department's trainee files for at least five years.

i)          State Certification Written Examination.  To be certified as a Firefighter II, candidates must take and pass the State written examination.  (See Section 141.200.)