Accredited Agencies: The Pro Board® accredits those public sector organizations (generally governmental or educational) internationally that certify emergency services responders against the requirements of the National Professional Qualifications System Standards. Those Standards are promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association. We do not accredit training systems, programs, or curriculum. Our focus is directed at the testing process used by an eligible agency. It is also outside of our mission to accredit for-profit companies or concerns.
Mission: The purpose of the Pro Board is to establish an internationally recognized means of acknowledging professional achievement in the fire service and related fields. The accreditation of agencies that certify uniform members of public fire departments, both career and volunteer, is the primary goal. However, other agencies with fire protection interests may also be considered for participation. Accreditation is generally provided at the State or Provincial level to the empowered certifying authority of that jurisdiction.
Accreditation: The Pro Board® accredits eligible agencies that use the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) professional qualification standards. The accreditation process begins with the submission of an application, including a detailed self-study document, by the eligible agency seeking accreditation. The application package is then reviewed by the members of the Committee on Accreditation (COA) for completeness and compliance with the accreditation criteria of the Pro Board®. Then, a site visit by a team of COA members, usually two, will perform an extensive on-site review of the agency’s testing and certification processes. The site visit team prepares a report and presents it to the COA who decide if accreditation is granted.
Certification: An agency that is accredited by the Pro Board® makes certification available to its members. Members are then eligible to be entered into the Pro Board’s certification registry and receive a certificate from the accredited agency, or apply for a certificate from the Pro Board , affirming they were certified by a Pro Board accredited agency and are entered in the Pro Board’s certification registry. In addition, the Pro Board encourages reciprocity among certifying agencies. This helps assure that Pro Board certification will be recognized by the department as the members seek advancement and by other departments should they seek to transfer within the fire service. The cost of registration including a Pro Board certificate ranges from $4.50 to $17.50 for North American accredited agencies depending on the certificate distribution plan selected by the accredited agency. The cost of registration and certificates for non-North American accredited agencies is available upon request by contacting Bob Rand, Accreditation Manager at 508-599-2344 or at rrand@theproboard.org.
Benefits: Professionalism has long been a goal sought by members of the fire service. It has only been within the past 30 years that a system has evolved to produce national professional qualifications standards that an agency can use to establish performance measures for personnel. Agencies that achieve Pro Board accreditation are recognized as having met the rigors of review by an independent organization. This third-party independent review is the best way to assure candidates and governance bodies that the agency’s program meets the national standards.
Pro Board recognized certification from an accredited agency is a statement of success and an indisputable mark of performance belonging to individual fire service professionals. Each successful candidate for certification from an accredited agency knows that he or she has been measured against peers and meets rigorous national standards. Certification affords the individual a uniformity and portability of qualifications. In addition, the credibility of an organization is enhanced by having members certified to national consensus standards. A high percentage of certified members within a department should certainly help managers in their pursuit of adequate funding at budget time.
Organization: The Pro Board was incorporated in 1990 as the “National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications” as a non-profit corporation. The organization is commonly known as The Pro Board. A Board of Directors administers the system and currently consists of one member from the International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc. (IAAI), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD), one member-at-large, and the Chair of the Pro Board Advisory Committee. The Chair of the Committee on Accreditation and the Accreditation Manager serve as ex-officio, non-voting members on the Board. The Board of Director’s primary responsibility is to set policy for the system and ensure fiscal stability for continued operation. The Committee on Accreditation is comprised of representatives appointed by the Board of Directors and representatives elected by the accredited entities. They are charged with the task of accreditation through review of applications, site visits, and implementation of policy set by the Board of Directors. The Advisory Committee is comprised of delegates from all the accredited entities. It serves as a conduit for policy questions and suggestions to be addressed by the Board of Directors and/or the COA.