Rule 4765-20-12 | Fire safety inspector and hazard recognition officer continuing education.
(A) An applicant who wishes to renew a fire safety inspector certificate shall complete twenty-four hours of continuing education training within the three-year certification cycle as set forth in this rule.
(B) Fire safety inspector continuing education requirements shall include any combination of the following:
(1) Education and training related to theory and application of the Ohio fire code in accordance with rule 1301:7-7 of the Administrative Code;
(2) Education and training that meets or exceeds the job performance requirements contained in the fire inspector chapter of the current version of NFPA 1030;
(3) Other education and training directly related to the performance of fire safety inspector duties;
(4) Other nationally recognized fire inspector training programs approved by the executive director.
(C) Fire safety inspector continuing education shall be provided by or under the auspices of institutions of higher education, recognized state agencies, chartered training programs, fire schools, fire training academies, or a fire department operated by federal, state, county, or local government, or non-profit organizations.
(D) Continuing education shall be approved by a program director of a chartered fire training program or by the applicant's fire chief or the chief's designee.
(E) If a new fire code is adopted by the state of Ohio, a fire safety inspector shall attend continuing education of not less than four hours related to the new fire code. The continuing education shall be completed within six months of the adoption of the new fire code. The fire safety inspector shall maintain documentation of completion of this update.
(1) The four hours shall be completed in accordance with paragraphs (C) and (D) of this rule; and
(2) The four hours may be counted towards the requirements set forth in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule.
(F) Continuing education credit shall not be approved for responding to emergencies or conducting fire safety inspections.
(G) No applicant shall receive credit for more than twelve hours of continuing education training in any one calendar day.
(H) No applicant shall receive continuing education credit for the identical online training class, taken more than once per calendar year.
(I) Extension of time to complete fire safety inspector continuing education shall be permitted as set forth in rule 4765-20-13 of the Administrative Code.
(J) 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.
(K) The holder of a fire safety inspector 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.
(L) 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.
(M) Military provisions related to fire safety inspector 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 paragraph (M) of this rule 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.
(N) An applicant for renewal who has a fire safety inspector certification cycle that is less than seventy-two 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
Supplemental Information