Section 141.315  Advanced Fire Officer

a)         An Illinois Advanced Fire Officer certification shall meet or exceed the qualifications identified in NFPA 1021.

b)         Prerequisites

1)         Engagement as Illinois fire protection personnel, as attested by the employing fire chief of the candidate seeking certification;

2)         Current certification as a Company Fire Officer;

3)         Current certification as Fire Department Incident Safety Officer;

4)         Current certification as Fire Service Instructor II;

5)         Completion of the NIMS 800 course;

6)         Successful completion of an Advanced Fire Officer course following the described phases of education:

A)        Phase 1:  Background and foundational information can be taught via on-line learning management systems or in the classroom, consisting of a minimum of 40 instructional hours; and

B)        Phase 2:  Practical applications and information review shall be completed in a traditional classroom setting.  This section shall be completed in class to achieve student interaction with the complex management situations that Advanced Fire Officers encounter. This phase consists of a minimum of 80 instructional hours.

7)         Passage of the State Written Examination: 

A)        Once a candidate has successfully completed Phases 1 and 2 of an approved Advanced Fire Officer course, the candidate may challenge the State Written Examination.

B)        The State Written Examination must be passed within one year after completion of Phase 2 of an approved Advanced Fire Officer course. If the State Written Examination is not passed within one year after completion of Phase 2 of an approved Advanced Fire Officer course, the candidate must retake Phases 1 and 2 prior to receiving certification.

8)         Phase 3:  Upon successful completion of Advanced Fire Officer Phases 1 and 2 and passage of the State Written Examination, the candidate will have a maximum of 3 years to complete the Advanced Fire Officer Task Book (Task Book) supplied by the Division.

A)        The completed Task Book shall be verified by a certified Advanced Fire Officer. 

B)        The qualified instructor and employing fire chief shall document the completion of the Task Book.

C)        If the Task Book is not completed within 3 years, the candidate shall be required to retake all Phases prior to certification.

9)         Documentation of a minimum of 5 cumulative years of fire service experience; and

10)        Application for Certification.

c)         Training documentation shall be maintained in the fire service personnel's training records at the employing fire department.

d)         A qualified instructor for this level must be certified as Fire Service Instructor II and Advanced Fire Officer.

e)         Fire department or individual reimbursement may be available for training costs for Advanced Fire Officer as provided in Subpart E.

f)         The course as set forth in Section 141.115 and the training facility as set forth in Section 141.100 must be approved by the Division.

g)         Credit for equivalent courses will be approved by the Division when the equivalent course meets the requirements of Section 141.120.

h)         Exception to Prerequisites.  If a candidate was previously certified as Fire Officer II, and meets the requirements of subsections (b)(1) through (5), (9) and (10), then the candidate pass the Advanced Fire Officer State Written Examination and complete the Task Book to be issued an Advanced Fire Officer certification. 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 424, effective January 1, 2023)