The National Park Service runs its own structural fire departments — firefighters who protect historic buildings, lodges and visitor centres in parks far from any town's engine. Since 2011 the certificates those firefighters earn have been recognised worldwide, because the Park Service's training programme is accredited by the Pro Board, the original accreditation system for fire service certification. In 2023 it was accredited for the third time.
What the Pro Board is
Founded in 1972, the Pro Board accredits organisations that certify firefighters against the National Fire Protection Association's professional qualification standards. More than seventy national and international organisations hold its accreditation; the Park Service was one of only two federal agencies when it joined. For the Service, it is independent proof that the tests its firefighters pass are fair, valid and reliable.
What changed with accreditation
| Before 2011 | Since | |
|---|---|---|
| Who set the standard | the Park Service's own policies | NFPA standards, checked by the Pro Board |
| Where a certificate counted | only inside the Park Service | any agency that recognises the Pro Board seal |
| Review | internal | every five years, or on request |
The programme certifies four levels: Firefighter I/II, Hazmat Awareness, Hazmat Operations, and Apparatus Driver Operator.
How the 2023 reaccreditation worked
- Review everything. Every course curriculum, test, training aid and delivery method was checked — about 120 staff hours over several months.
- Apply. The material went into the Pro Board's online system for its Committee on Accreditation.
- Site visit. Two committee members visited. The programme showed them its training in two halves — a twelve-week online course for the classroom work, then a three-week in-person academy on the City of Boise Fire Department's training grounds, under a cooperative agreement — and went through every test line by line with them to confirm it was fair, valid and reliable.
- Vote. At the Pro Board's annual conference in Plano, Texas, in January 2023, the committee voted to accredit the Park Service for another five years, and presented the certificate there.
The result is practical: a firefighter certified in a national park can carry that certification to a municipal or international department that recognises the seal.
Sources
Written from "NPS Structural Fire Program Receives Pro Board Reaccreditation", National Park Service, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
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