Another NFPA question

[njb242]

Hello all, this is my first post as a new forum member, so now time to jump to the typical first-timer, not using search box help me now type post haha.
Please bear with me, I'm still very confused when it comes to this topic. I am a firefighter in NJ and completed my 150 hour FF1 training at Hunterdon County ESTC. I am attending school in upstate NY and am in the process of joining the VFD there. At my interview, I was told i would have to take the NY (National) 80 hour FF1 course, and that was the only way for me to be a FF in NY. Some personal research revealed this is not the case. NY requires that "Training, which is not already nationally certified, will require successful completion of the national certification testing offered by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control or other testing agency accredited by either the Pro Board or IFSAC." Because i am trained and qualified in NJ, i would just have to sign up for and pass the NY national written and practical (http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/documen...dards/exam.pdf )?Also, given that my NJ training seems more in-depth (150 hours) than NY training (80 hours) would it be safe to assume that I was taught everything on the national test (aka, how difficult should it be compared to the NJ state test?)?
Lots of questions, i know and most of them are tough to answer. Thank you in advance to everyone.


http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/alerts-.../201104001.pdf

[pasobuff]

I'll jump in here -

Get together your certificates, and also the course syllabus if you can for the NJ certifictaions.....the person you probably need to speak to at OFPC is out of the office today - but he should be in tomorrow (trust me, I have an inside scoop!).....

I don't know off the top of my head if the NJ certs are already allowed - if not the info has to be reviewed.....

and if you send me a pm I can give you an email address to send an inquiry to.

[LaFireEducator]

Differences in textbooks will often mean differences in what questions are asked and how they may be phrased. That can mean, if NY and NJ are using different publishers as the basis of their classes and the basis of their test questions and answers that the test may be more difficult than you expect.

Again, this is an example of why I am so frustrated when the "FFI is the national standard" argument starts because there is almost nothing "standard" about FFI from state to state.

Every damn state should be teaching the 81-hour FFI class, and it should be 100% portable from state to state.

[njb242]

Differences in textbooks will often mean differences in what questions are asked and how they may be phrased. That can mean, if NY and NJ are using different publishers as the basis of their classes and the basis of their test questions and answers that the test may be more difficult than you expect.

Again, this is an example of why I am so frustrated when the "FFI is the national standard" argument starts because there is almost nothing "standard" about FFI from state to state.

Every damn state should be teaching the 81-hour FFI class, and it should be 100% portable from state to state.

Good points, i'll have to see how everything flakes out...
And i agree with you 100% on the point about fire training. It is my understanding that the 80 hour pro-board is the national standard, but not nationally accepted. At the same time however, I can't help but feel that i was slightly better prepared to set foot on the fire ground considering I had significantly more instruction/practicals.