Rule 4765-20-11 | Firefighter continuing education.
(A) An applicant who wishes to renew a firefighter certificate shall have completed thirty-six hours of continuing education within the current three-year certification cycle that is related to the fire service, NFPA standards, or NIOSH (national institute for occupational safety and health) reports, and are approved by the applicant's fire chief or the chief's designee, or the program director of a chartered fire training program. Such continuing education courses may be completed through in-service training programs conducted by the applicant's affiliated fire department.
(B) Any person authorized by the fire chief as a designee for their department must submit a request to the division and be approved by the executive director. Any change to the authorized designee requires notification to the division within thirty days.
(C) An applicant who is participating in a firefighter training course to attain a higher level of firefighter certification may count the hours toward the requirements in paragraph (A) of this rule.
(D) An out-of-state applicant or an applicant unaffiliated with an Ohio fire department has the following options for meeting the continuing education requirements as set forth in this rule:
(1) An applicant that resides in Ohio, but is not affiliated with an Ohio fire department, may complete continuing education through the following:
(a) Training approved by the applicant's fire chief or the chief's designee;
(b) Continuing education training approved by a program director of a chartered fire training program;
(c) Fire service training received by any other entity approved by the executive director, including but not limited to, the following entities:
(i) National fire academy;
(ii) Fire department instructors conference;
(iii) Fire-rescue international;
(iv) National domestic preparedness consortium;
(v) Fire code academy;
(vi) Fire hero learning network;
(vii) Other nationally recognized fire training programs approved by the executive director.
(2) An applicant that does not reside in Ohio and is not affiliated with an Ohio fire department may complete continuing education through the following:
(a) Training approved by the applicant's fire chief or the chief's designee;
(b) Training from a fire training institution approved by the licensing agency in another state;
(c) Training received by any other entity approved by the executive director, including but not limited to the following entities:
(i) National fire academy;
(ii) Fire department instructors conference;
(iii) Fire-rescue international;
(iv) National domestic preparedness consortium;
(v) Fire code academy;
(vi) Fire hero learning network;
(vii) Other nationally recognized fire training programs approved by the executive director.
(3) Documentation of course completion shall be kept by the applicant.
(E) Continuing education credit shall not be approved for responding to emergencies or conducting fire safety inspections.
(F) No applicant shall receive credit for more than twelve hours of continuing education training in any one calendar day.
(G) No applicant shall receive continuing education credit for the identical online training class, taken more than once per calendar year.
(H) Extension of time to complete firefighter continuing education shall be permitted as set forth in rule 4765-20-13 of the Administrative Code.
(I) Credit for continuing education received during the period of an extension, up to and including the date the renewal application is submitted, shall not be used as credit for continuing education in the subsequent certification cycle.
(J) The holder of a firefighter certificate shall maintain records of continuing education required by this rule for the current and previous certification cycles.
(1) Such records shall include the course title, date, hours claimed, and who provided the training.
(2) Upon request, documentation shall be provided to the division within the time parameters set forth by the executive director.
(K) For the purpose of continuing education approval, fire chief means a certified firefighter who has been designated as the head of a fire department or private firefighting brigade.
(L) Military provisions related to firefighter continuing education:
(1) The division shall consider relevant education, training, or service completed by the certificate holder as a member of the armed forces in determining whether the certificate holder has fulfilled required continuing education.
(2) In accordance with section 5903.12 of the Revised Code and this chapter of the Administrative Code, a certificate holder who has served on active duty during the current or prior certification cycle may request an extension of time to complete the current continuing education as set forth in rule 4765-20-13 of the Administrative Code.
(3) All provisions of this paragraph shall apply to any certificate holder who is the spouse of a person who has served on active duty when that service resulted in the certificate holder's absence from this state.
(M) An applicant for renewal who has a firefighter certification cycle that is less than thirty-six months shall complete the pro-rated continuing education requirements as set forth in rule 4765-20-16 of the Administrative Code.
Last updated November 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM
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