Submit a Fire Support Ticket
1-800-666-7784
firecertifications@dhs.in.gov
Plainfield high-rise tower to serve as fire training hub; more new training locations announced
State Fire Marshal Steve Jones and Indiana Department of Corrections leadership broke ground on a new training site during a ceremony in Plainfield on Oct. 10. At the ceremony, IDHS announced the next phase of the Hub-and-Spoke Training plan, where five new training towers will be built in central and southern Indiana. These sites continue the expansion of state-sponsored locations to help eliminate "training deserts" across Indiana.
New fire investigator continuing education requirements
As of Sept. 1, 2024, all certified fire investigators have two years (until Sept. 1, 2026) to obtain 16 hours of continuing education. Read the update in the Course Registration and Information section below for more details and links to recertification forms.
New law, administrative code changes now in effect
As mentioned in the August edition of the Monthly Bugle, on July 1, Indiana Code 22-14-2-13 slightly changed the age requirements for certification. This change allows for individuals who are 16 years of age to be able to start their fire service training. In the past, high school programs had to request a variance from the Academy to be enrolled in training.
Note: In the Indiana Administrative Code, Title 655 IAC 2-2-1, no individual under age 18 may be certified to provide firefighting or related emergency services. Thus, high school programs will need to request a variance for certification, once their students have completed the program and passed the test if they are under the age of 18 at the time of completion.
Revisions to IAC Title 655 rules are also now in effect. They direct how certification and a wide variety of firefighting activity work across Indiana. The Indiana Register will house the updated version soon. In the meantime: Review the revisions
About the Academy
Academy Field Operations Staff (click for contacts)
Academy Field Operations Staff (click for contacts)
The Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy is an education and training subdivision of the Division of Fire and Building Safety.
The Academy has two subsections: (1) Public Safety and (2) Fire Training and Certifications. The Fire Training and Certifications staff establishes inspection training requirements for members of volunteer fire companies and certifies individuals who meet those requirements.
They also collaborate with public safety boards and commissions in the state to establish criteria for certification and credentialing of public safety personnel.
Upcoming Training Courses and Events 
Note: Not all events on the IDHS calendar are organized, hosted or sponsored by IDHS or other state agencies. Some events are included for informational purposes as events that the public or first responders may find beneficial.
Winter Fire School 2025
- Second Annual Indiana State Winter Fire School
- Feb. 1-2, 2025
- MADE@Plainfield (1610 Reeves Road, Plainfield, IN 46168)
The Academy will be hosting its second annual Winter Fire School at its training facility in Plainfield on Feb. 1-2, 2025. Courses will be free to registered students (lodging not provided). Despite heavy snow for the first Winter Fire School in 2024, hundreds of students from more than 100 fire departments gathered to learn best practices and skills during free classroom and specialized hands-on trainings.
Instructors for the 2025 fire school are being solicited now. Interested instructors must apply for consideration by Nov. 1, and selections will be made by Nov. 29.
Registration for students is not yet available.
Training Flyers
The Academy provides training and certifications to help fire and public safety personnel carry out their duties safely and effectively. Full course information and registration for state-sponsored courses is available on the Acadis Portal, but flyers for some of the Academy's training events and courses are available now for easy sharing via the Educational Opportunities page.
Flyers for non-state-sponsored educational opportunities, such as open classes organized and hosted by local fire departments, may be shared on the Educational Opportunities page as well. Visit the page to learn how to submit them.
Fire Certifications and Training
- PSID Numbers
Public Safety Identification (PSID) Numbers and Certification Verification
- PSID Application (Do not use this application if you already have a PSID)
- PSID and Certification Lookup Instructions
- PSID Lookup
- Reactivate Your Acadis Account
- Verify an Individual's IDHS EMS and Fire Certification
- Course Registration and Information
For questions or requests during regular business hours, please email firecertifications@dhs.in.gov or call 1-800-666-7784. If needing immediate help with fire certifications after hours, please call the district's field program manager.
Course Registration
- Browse and Register for Courses
- Course Testing Login
- Emergency Response Support (ERS) Access
- IFSAC Certification Application
- IFSAC Frequently Asked Questions
- Instructor, Evaluator and Proctor Handbook
- Prerequisite List
Note to Ivy Tech students: Ivy Tech students need to contact their training entity to request a test ID 15 days prior to going to Ivy Tech to take an exam. Contact Ivy Tech directly to find out when testing labs will be open.
Instructor's Corner
All course training materials are now located in the Acadis Portal. Instructor materials are available in both instructors' Acadis Portal and IFSTA ResourceOne. See the Instructor Material and ResourceOne Access Guide for details.
Instructor Material and ResourceOne Access Guide
For questions, please email firetraining@dhs.in.gov.
Fire Investigator Certification
Fire Investigator I was updated starting Aug. 14, 2023. Through adoption by the Board of Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education, this program has been updated to the 2022 edition of NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigators. It is intended for delivery to fire investigators, police officers, company-level officers and firefighters who are involved in the investigation process. The program primarily consists of instruction and practical exercises in the areas of cause and origin determination, report writing, scene processing, evidence handling and participation in practice courtroom testimonials. Topics on burn pattern recognition, point of origin, scene documentation, interviewing techniques and scene safety are addressed at length.
The forms for the course, including the job performance requirements (JPRs), have been updated to match the new standard. The Academy is also moving away from the Jones and Bartlett textbook and moving to the IFSTA Fire Investigator, 3rd Edition. A new test has also been created based on the IFSTA Fire Investigator and was created in-house by Indiana subject matter experts. The previous program was based on the 2009 edition of NFPA 1033, and much has changed since then. Credibility determinations of expert witnesses, scene methodologies, legal rulings and fire investigative science have changed greatly, and so this update project was long overdue. One of the changes to note is that NFPA 1033 (4.1.7) now requires continuing education in the following areas: fire science, fire investigation, fire scene safety and building systems. These changes will add credibility to the Indiana program and will improve the overall quality of the Fire Investigator I certification.
If you have any questions concerning the fire investigator certification, please contact coach Todd Budd at tbudd@dhs.in.gov.
New Continuing Education Requirements (September 2024 Update)
Fire investigator certification will now require recertification every two years. Starting Sept. 1, 2024, all certificated fire investigators have two years (until Sept. 1, 2026) to obtain 16 hours of continuing education.
Continuing Education Hours Required (655 IAC 4-6-1)
As a prerequisite to each renewal of a certification that requires continuing education and is subject to expiration, an individual shall complete at least 16 hours of continuing education or instruction.
Fire Investigator (655 IAC 4-3-40)
Sixteen hours of continuing education shall be obtained during every 24 months from the date of certification. Continuing education requirements shall be tracked, documented and maintained by the individual and the AHJ. Furthermore, documented compliance with the continuing education requirements must be submitted to the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy.
The fire investigator must remain current in a variety of subject areas, including but not limited to:
The 16 hours of continuing education can be achieved by attending in-person traditional classes from the above list of topics or taking online courses from cfitrainer.net or other online fire investigator courses.
Forms
- Fire Investigator Recertification Form
- Fire Investigator Recertification After Recent Expiration Form
Fire and Life Safety Educator Program Curriculum
The Academy is pleased to announce further progress in updating the curriculum used for State of Indiana certification. The latest update is to Fire and Life Safety Educator, as it pertains to Fire and Life Safety Educator I, II and III (FLSE I and II). Before this update, the program was based on the NFPA Standard 1035, 2010 Edition, with no book or standardized curriculum. The program will now be based on the NFPA Standard 1030, 2024 Edition, and use the IFSTA Fire and Life Safety Educator, 4th Edition, and IFSTA ResourceOne learning management system. The differences between the two standards mostly reflect a change in information technology. For example, whereas the old standard might mention "newspapers or print media" to accomplish a skill, the newer standard will refer to "social or digital media."
Before this update, the State of Indiana had FLSE III in the board rules as a certification, but the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy did not have a curriculum or written test developed. Without the needed supporting certification material, the Academy has never offered this certification, but as part of this certification update, the Academy will have the ability to offer FLSE III as a state certification in Indiana. This update went live Dec. 29, 2023.
Driver/Operator Certification
As a part of continuing efforts to modernize the curriculum and certification courses in Indiana, Driver/Operator changed on Sept. 1, 2023. This course is designed to train driver/operators with the knowledge and skills to meet the minimum job performance requirements as outlined in NFPA 1002. This course prepares individuals to assume responsibility as a fire apparatus operator. It also prepares them to understand the science of fluids at rest and in motion, and the physical relationships between water and the mechanisms for moving it to achieve desired fire flows.
While the certification will still be based on NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications - 2017 Edition, the following changes are being made to the course: moving from the Jones and Bartlett textbook to the IFSTA Pumping and Aerial Apparatus Driver/Operator Handbook, 3rd Edition, updated skill sheets and a new test validated to the IFSTA book. The updated forms are designed to provide a uniform and consistent look across all certification programs for ease of navigation. The Academy is expecting that this will make the planning and delivery of Driver/Operator classes much simpler.
Textbooks
Apply for Free IFSTA eLibrary Subscriptions
Fire departments now may apply for free IFSTA eLibrary subscriptions via https://on.in.gov/ifsta-library-request. Each user must have an IFSTA ResourceOne account to access these publications. ResourceOne accounts can be created via https://moodle.ifsta.org/.
The Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy is funding this initiative as a benefit to all Indiana firefighters. It allows access to all IFSTA manuals free of charge for agencies, which traditionally have not been able to afford purchasing education textbooks. Each firefighter will have an individual account with the most current editions available for viewing on both desktop and mobile devices.
Note: This service is only for Indiana firefighters and fire departments. It does not apply to career centers, universities, colleges or for-profit training institutions.
Questions regarding the IFSTA eLibrary should be directed to Shelly Elliott.
- National Fire Academy
National Fire Academy
All applications for the National Fire Academy and the National Emergency Training Center should be completed online at the U.S. Fire Administration website.
FEMA Student Identification Number
- Required for all National Fire Academy course applications. Social Security numbers will not be accepted.
- Visit FEMA SID to apply for your SID number.
- Reports, Newsletters and Bulletins
Get Alarmed Smoke Alarm Program
The IDHS Get Alarmed program works closely with service providers and fire departments to distribute smoke alarms to Indiana residents at no cost, thanks to a federal Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. For more information, visit the Get Alarmed page.
Grants
The Academy administers two state-funded grant programs to support public safety efforts, the Fire Training Infrastructure Grant and the Local Training Support Grant. Learn more about these grants
Hub-and-Spoke Firefighter Training
The Hub-and-Spoke Firefighter Training plan brings training closer for firefighters across the state while also adding consistency and quality control to basic firefighter training in Indiana. New training centers and gear for volunteer firefighters highlight this NextLevel Firefighting initiative. Read about the latest Hub-and-Spoke developments