Fire Service Training (FST) provides training and certification for Idaho firefighters in partnership with fire agencies statewide. You’ll build the knowledge and skills needed to meet national standards and support safe, effective emergency response.
FST serves as Idaho’s official accrediting agency for firefighter certification through the International Fire Service Accrediting Congress (IFSAC)
What do you need to do?
Review certification requirements
Review eligibility, prerequisites and testing requirements for each certification level.
Hazardous Materials Awareness
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 5 (formerly NFPA 1072), JPRs 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4
Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 5 (formerly NFPA 1072)
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- None
Written exam
- 25 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on one randomly selected skill sheet
Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
NFPA 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 7 (formerly NFPA 1072), JPRs 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5 and 7.6
AHJ verification
- The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 7 (formerly NFPA 1072)
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
Written exam
- 50 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on one randomly selected skill sheet
Hazardous Materials Operations—Mission Specific (9.2, 9.3, 9.4 and 9.6)
NFPA 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 9 (formerly NFPA 1072), JPRs 9.2, 9.3, 9.4 and 9.6
Each mission-specific area is tested and certified separately:
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Mass Decontamination (9.3)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Technical Decontamination (9.4)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 470, 2022 ed., Chapter 9 (formerly NFPA 1072)
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
Written exam
- 20 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on one randomly selected skill sheet
Firefighter I
NFPA 1010, 2024 ed., Chapter 6 (formerly NFPA 1001)
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1010, 2024 ed., Chapter 6 (formerly NFPA 1001)
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on six randomly selected skill sheets
Must include skill sheets from self-contained breathing apparatus, hose and ladders categories
Firefighter II
NFPA 1001, 2019 ed., Chapter 5, JPRs 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1001, 2019 ed., Chapter 5
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Skills exam
100% competency on four randomly selected skill sheets
Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I
NFPA 1041, 2019 ed., Chapter 4, JPRs 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1041, 2019 ed., Chapter 4
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
Firefighter I
- Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on three skill sheets
- Includes Objective 4.4.3: Presentation (Skill Sheet 5), where the candidate presents a prepared lesson on a topic of their choice
- Includes two additional randomly selected skill sheets from Skill Sheets 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 or 9
Driver Operator—General
NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 4, JPRs 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 4
- Is aware that the fire department driver/operator is subject to periodic medical evaluations in accordance with NFPA 1500, Section 10.1, and meets medical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
- Holds a valid driver’s license for all vehicles they are expected to operate
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
Written exam
- 50 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on one required skill sheet
- Includes Objective 4.3.7 and 5.1.2: routine test, inspection and servicing function (Skill Sheet 1)
Driver Operator—Pumper
NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 5, JPRs 5.1 and 5.2
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 5
- Is aware that the fire department driver/operator is subject to periodic medical evaluations in accordance with NFPA 1500, Section 10.1, and meets medical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
- Holds a valid driver’s license for all vehicles they are expected to operate
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Driver Operator—General
Written exam
- 50 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on three skill sheets
- Includes Objective 4.3.7 and 5.1.2: routine test, inspection and servicing function (Skill Sheet 1)
- Includes Objective 5.2.2 and 5.2.3: practical pumping evolution and water supply (Skill Sheet 2)
- Includes one randomly selected skill sheet from 2A, 2B, 2C or 2D
Driver Operator—Aerial
NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 6, JPRs 6.1 and 6.2
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 6
- Is aware that the fire department driver/operator is subject to periodic medical evaluations in accordance with NFPA 1500, Section 10.1, and meets medical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
- Holds a valid driver’s license for all vehicles they are expected to operate
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Driver Operator—General
Written exam
- 50 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on two skill sheets
- Includes Objective 4.2.1(B) and 6.1.1(B): performing routine inspection and test (Skill Sheet 1)
- Includes one randomly selected skill sheet from 2, 3, 4 or 5
Driver Operator—Mobile Water Supply
NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 10, JPRs 10.1 and 10.2
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1002, 2017 ed., Chapter 10
- Is aware that the fire department driver/operator is subject to periodic medical evaluations in accordance with NFPA 1500, Section 10.1, and meets medical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
- Holds a valid driver’s license for all vehicles they are expected to operate
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Driver Operator—General
Written exam
- 50 questions
- 70% passing score
- 60-minute time limit
Skills exam
- 100% competency on two skill sheets
- Includes Objective 10.1.1: routine test, inspection and servicing functions (Skill Sheet 1)
- Includes Objective 10.1.1, 10.2.2 and 10.2.3: practical evolution and water supply (Skill Sheet 2)
Fire Officer I, II and III
NFPA 1021, 2020 ed.
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Portfolio (skills evaluation)
- 100% competency is required across all activities in the Fire Officer portfolio project
- Candidates have one year from the date of their first testing attempt to complete the Fire Officer I framework
- A chief officer from the candidate’s agency must complete the initial evaluation of the portfolio activities. The AHJ representative initials each activity form to verify the candidate meets the professional qualification standards defined in NFPA 1021. By signing the application for portfolio submission, the AHJ confirms all required tasks have been completed to standard.
- The portfolio is reviewed by a qualified FST evaluator using a scoring rubric. Candidates may review and correct any failed activities before a second and final evaluation by a different evaluator. Two attempts are allowed to achieve 100% competency.
Application requirements and prerequisites for each Fire Officer level are outlined in the sections below.
Fire Officer I
NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 4, JPRs 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 4
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Application requirements
- Two applications are required: a written application and a portfolio project application
- The portfolio project application must include a plagiarism declaration form and initialed activity sheets
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Firefighter II
- Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Portfolio (skills evaluation)
- 100% competency across 12 activities in the Fire Officer I portfolio project
Fire Officer II
NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 5, JPRs 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 5
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Application requirements
- Two applications are required: a written application and a portfolio project application
- The portfolio project application must include a plagiarism declaration form and initialed activity sheets
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Firefighter II
- Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I
- Fire Officer I
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Portfolio (skills evaluation)
- 100% competency across 16 activities in the Fire Officer II portfolio project
Fire Officer III
NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 6, JPRs 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7 and 6.8
AHJ verification
The AHJ must verify that the candidate:
- Has demonstrated the knowledge and skills competencies defined in NFPA 1021, 2020 ed., Chapter 6
- Meets medical and physical fitness requirements established by the AHJ
Application requirements
- Two applications are required: a written application and a portfolio project application
- The portfolio project application must include a plagiarism declaration form and initialed activity sheets
Prerequisites
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Personal Protective Equipment (9.2)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Product Control (9.6)
- Firefighter I
- Firefighter II
- Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I
- Fire Officer I
- Fire Officer II
Written exam
- 100 questions
- 70% passing score
- 90-minute time limit
Portfolio (skills evaluation)
- 100% competency across 21 activities in the Fire Officer III portfolio project
Prepare for testing
Skill sheets
Skill sheets are used to evaluate a candidate’s ability to perform required skills during IFSAC testing. Each sheet outlines the steps, conditions and performance criteria aligned with NFPA job performance requirements. Evaluators use skill sheets to ensure testing is consistent, objective and aligned with national standards. Candidates must demonstrate 100% competency by completing all required steps as written.
- Hazardous Materials Awareness Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE Skills Sheets (2024 edition)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—MS 9.2 Skills Sheets (2024 edition)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—MS 9.3 Skills Sheets (2024 edition)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—MS 9.4 Skills Sheets (2024 edition)
- Hazardous Materials Operations—MS 9.6 Skills Sheets (2024 edition)
- Firefighter I Skill Sheets (2019 edition)
- Firefighter II Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I Skill Sheets (2019 edition)
- Driver/Operator General Skill Sheets (2017 edition)
- Driver/Operator Pumping Apparatus Skill Sheets (2017 edition)
- Driver/Operator General Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Driver/Operator Pumping Apparatus Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Driver/Operator Aerial Apparatus Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Driver/Operator Mobile Water Supply Apparatus Skill Sheets (2024 edition)
- Fire Officer I Portfolio (2020 edition)
- Fire Officer I Skill Sheets (2025 edition)
- Fire Officer II Skill Sheets (2025 edition)
- Fire Officer III Skill Sheets (2025 edition)
Find and apply for a testing event
Use the FST testing event calendar to find and apply for a testing event.
If your department is hosting a testing event, your training or chief officer will provide a direct registration link.
Know what to expect on test day
General requirements
- Present a valid ID at the start of each testing day.
- Electronic devices aren’t allowed once testing begins. This includes cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, pagers and radios. The lead evaluator or proctor will designate a secure area for devices. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
- Remain in the staging or testing area while actively participating in skills or written exams. Plan to bring food, drinks and any other items you’ll need for the duration of the testing day.
Skills testing
- Report to the designated staging area until you’re called and escorted to each testing station.
- Don’t discuss testing stations or use study materials during the testing process. Candidates observed doing so will be dismissed.
- At each station, the evaluator will read the skill and explain the conditions. You’ll have a brief opportunity to review the skill sheet instructions. Ask any questions before testing begins. Evaluators can’t provide guidance that would help you complete the skill. Once testing starts, no questions are allowed.
- You’ll receive one attempt per skill station. Evaluators won’t indicate whether you’ve passed or failed during testing. Results are provided after all candidates complete their first attempt.
- If you don’t pass a skill station, you may complete a second attempt the same day with a different evaluator. No feedback is provided between attempts. Retesting begins after all initial attempts are complete.
- After all attempts are complete, you may review your skills packet and evaluator feedback. If you don’t pass the retest, you’ll be asked to sign the skill sheet acknowledging receipt of the feedback and required improvements.
- A third attempt must be completed at a future testing event. Third attempts aren’t permitted on the same day.
- At the conclusion of testing, you’ll sign your skills packet to confirm you had an opportunity to review your results. Skills packets are returned to FST and aren’t provided to candidates.
Written testing
- Cheating results in immediate dismissal.
- Talking isn’t permitted during the exam.
- Only one candidate may leave the room at a time. All testing materials must be turned in to the proctor before leaving.
- Don’t write in the exam booklet.
- FST provides pencils, calculators, Emergency Response Guides and a DOT 17, if needed.
- Each exam has a set time limit based on certification level. Additional time is available only if a testing accommodation request is submitted and approved before the testing event.
Time limits by certification
- Hazardous Materials Awareness: 60 minutes
- Hazardous Materials Operations—CORE: 90 minutes
- Hazardous Materials Operations—Mission Specific: 60 minutes
- Firefighter I: 90 minutes
- Firefighter II: 90 minutes
- Driver Operator—General: 60 minutes
- Driver Operator—Pumper: 60 minutes
- Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I: 90 minutes
- Fire Officer I, II and III: 90 minutes
Testing accommodations
FST provides reasonable accommodations for written IFSAC exams to qualified candidates. Accommodation requests must be submitted and approved in advance using the ADA Testing Accommodation Form. The form must be completed and signed by the candidate’s chief or training officer.
Accommodations apply to written exams only. The AHJ is responsible for determining and verifying medical and physical fitness requirements for skills testing.
After the exam
Results
Skills results are provided on the day of testing. Written results are sent to the candidate’s training or chief officer within two to three weeks.
Passing requirements
A minimum score of 70% is required to pass the written exam. Skills testing is graded on a pass-or-fail basis, with 100% competency required.
IFSAC certification is issued upon successful completion of all requirements.
Retesting and appeals
Candidates have one year to complete all testing requirements, including written and skills exams.
Up to three attempts are allowed for each component. After three failed attempts, a six-month waiting period is required before restarting the testing process.
If a candidate does not pass the written exam, they may retake the exam at a future testing event or submit a written appeal within 30 days of receiving their score. Appeals must be submitted to the FST Program Director and must be specific.