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Recognition Program

INTRODUCTION

The voluntary firefighter certification program is a legislatively supported system signed into law House Bill 347 in 1981. The Utah Fire Service Certification System allows for the certification of any firefighter who resides in the State of Utah and is an active member of a Utah emergency response organization.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Fire Department Recognition Program is to recognize organizations that support, promote, and encourage their emergency response personnel to certify within the Utah Fire Service Certification System.

  1. Definitions:
    1. Department:
      Any fire service unit that is a public, private, or organization of the state, city, county, special district, industrial fire brigade, or federal government whose primary duty is fire suppression/prevention or emergency response.
    2. Participating Department:
      Any agency, or entity that complies with the intent of the Utah Fire Service Certification System and has a Letter of Intent on file with the Certification Office.
    3. Active Member:
      A duly enrolled member of an emergency response organization that is authorized to respond to fire and emergency calls with the emergency response organization.
    4. Certified Personnel:
      Any individual serving as a member of a fire department who is currently certified within one of the accredited levels of the Utah Fire Service Certification System.
    5. Recognized Levels of Certification:
      For this program, special recognition will be given to departments for members that are certified in the following seven (7) levels of certification:
      • Firefighter I
      • Hazardous Materials Awareness
      • Firefighter II
      • Hazardous Materials Operations
      • Wildland Firefighter I
      • Apparatus Driver Operator - Pumper
      • Fire Officer I*
    6. Levels of Recognition:
      10% of members certified in any level is a Participating Department Award.
      50% of members certified in any level is a Bronze Recognition Award.
      75% of members certified in any level is a Silver Recognition Award.
      95% or higher of members certified in any level is a Gold Recognition Award.
  2. Qualifications

      To be recognized as a participating department in the Fire Department Recognition Program, the Utah Fire Service Certification Council has established the following criteria.

      1. The organization applying for a departmental recognition award must submit a properly completed application contained in this pamphlet.
      2. To receive recognition, the organization must have a minimum number of certified personnel. This minimum number is ten percent (10%) of the number of members listed on the Active Member roster in one of the seven program categories.
      3. The organization will submit an application of its Active Members as defined in A-3. It is very important that organizations submit a complete and accurate list of its members. It is from this list and the number of members that are certified that the recognition level is determined.
      4. There are seven (7) levels of certification that will be recognized within this program. They are:
        • Firefighter I
        • Hazardous Materials Awareness
        • Firefighter II
        • Hazardous Materials Operations
        • Wildland Firefighter I
        • Apparatus Driver Operator - Pumper
        • Fire Officer I*
      5. The organization will indicate on its application the list of Active Members and indicate the level(s) that each person is certified.

      6. Based on the total number of Active Member listed on the application and the levels of certification indicated, the department will be recognized accordingly in each of the seven (7) levels of certification. Level of Recognition, (Bronze, Silver or Gold) will be based on the highest percentage in any one of the seven levels within the program.

        For example; If a department has 30 members and 29 are certified as Firefighter I then the department would be recognized at the Gold level for Firefighter I. If they have 25 members that are Firefighter II then they would be at the Silver level for Firefighter II and so on for the seven recognized levels. If a department does not participate in a level they would indicate it on the application as none applicable (NA).

        *Fire Officer I level of Recognition is base on a different formula. For determining Fire Officer I level of participation, level of Recognition will be based on the number of officer positions within the agency and the number of those officers that are certified as Fire Officer I.

        Example; A department has 15 officer positions and at the time of application 14 of the 15 officers in those positions are certified at the Fire Officer I level, the department would be recognized at the Gold level.

      7. The application must be signed by the Chief/Administrator of the response organization verifying that the list is accurate and that the members listed are in good standing with the agency.
      8. Upon successful completion and approval, the organization will be awarded recognition as a Participating Department and will be issued a certificate with the appropriate levels indicated on the Certificate and 2 decals for placement on the department apparatus (additional decals may be purchased from the Certification Office).
      9. The recognition award will be valid for a period of three (3) years; after which the applicant organization must renew their recognition in the program. If a department changes its status during the three-year period and want to change their level they may do so by completing an application.
  3. Rescission/Withdrawal;

      The Certification Office of the Utah Fire Service Certification System, upon recommendation of the Certification Council, reserves the right to immediately rescind, for just cause reasons, the recognition given to a participating department for noncompliance with established criteria.

  4. Application Instructions;
    1. Complete the information required on the application as outlined.
    2. Complete a roster of ALL current members of the response organization. This will be used in determining the percentage of participation in the certification system.
    3. Indicate on the roster those who are certified with the Utah Fire Service Certification Council and list their level(s) of certification. (The Certification Office will verify these names and certifications).
    4. Have the Chief/Administrator sign the application.
    5. Submit to the Certification Office the following:
    6. Submit application packet to:
      Utah Fire Service Certification System
      Fire Department Recognition Program
      3131 Mike Jense Parkway
      Provo, UT 84601
    7. Upon completion and processing of the application, the department will receive a
      • Certificate recognizing the level of participation.
      • Signage for display on the agency apparatus.
      • The agency name will be published in the UFRA Newsletter.

When possible, the Certification Office and Certification Council would like to present this recognition to the applicant department in person. We believe that this recognition is worthy of being presented at city council meetings or other appropriate settings. To arrange for a presentation to be made, or for any questions regarding this program, contact the Certification Office at 1-888-548-7816.

Download the Recognition Program Application Form