By Michael L. Petroff
FDSOA
The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) has collaborated with the Public Safety Education Network (PSEN) to deliver an online Incident Safety Officer course. The new online course is based on the second edition of the textbook Fire Department Incident Safety Officer by David Dodson. The new online course will assist the student in preparing for the FDSOA’s Incident Safety Officer Certification exam. In addition, the FDSOA strongly recommends thorough reading and study of the textbook before testing.
For information or enrollment in the online course, go to www.publicsafetyedu.com or contact Bob Colameta at bobc@publicsafetyedu.com. For information on the FDSOA certification process, contact Bob Finley, FDSOA Certification Coordinator at programs@fdsoa.org.
This course development is an example of how partnerships help each organization realize common goals. In September of 2009, the National Fallen Firefighters Everyone Goes Home program sent several regional and state advocates to the Fire Department Safety Officers Conference. The advocates attended either the Incident Safety Officer Certification class or the Health and Safety Officer Certification class. Included in the advocate attendees of the ISO class was Bob Colameta, Public Safety Education Network. Also attending was Stephen Raynis Chief of Safety for the Fire Department City of New York. The FDSOA had discussion with Bob Colameta regarding the development of an on-line version of the safety officer classes. Chief Raynis was interested in certification of FDNY safety officers and discussed options with Bob Finley. The on-line course by PSEN was used by the FDNY safety officers to augment their preparation for the safety officer examination. Twenty-four officers from the FDNY took the safety officer examination and were certified as incident safety officers in January 2011.
The certification of safety officers is a primary function of the FDSOA and an example of the implementation of Firefighter Life Safety Initiative #5 regarding firefighter certification and continuing education. The FDSOA has also partnered with the Firefighter Near-miss Reporting System to help implement FFLSI #9 regarding review of near-miss incidents. The FDSOA awards continuing education credits for written review of the FFNMRS Report of the Week. Because of the partnership between the NFFF, the FDSOA and because of the work of Bob Colameta, training and certification of safety officers continues to grow.
Testing and certification is only part of the training and education necessary to serve as an Incident Safety Officer. Continuing education and recertification are part of the FDSOA process and a component of Firefighter life Safety initiative #5.