Volume 23-3 | December 2023
December 2023 News
A quarterly summary of the ongoing news, updates, & events at SFT 
Featured News
Curriculum Retirement Reminder
The following courses retire from the State Fire Training (SFT) catalog on December 31, 2023:

  • Fire Fighter Survival (2010)
  • Animal Technical Rescue Awareness (2017)
  • Animal Technical Rescue Technician (2017)

As a reminder, Candidates actively pursuing instructor registration for any of the retiring courses listed above must submit all documentation postmarked on or before December 31, 2023. Visit the FSTEP webpage for more details.
Reminder - Courses with Less Than Five Students
The Registered Instructor, in conjunction with the host agency, shall ensure that courses with less than five (5) students are approved by SFT prior to course instruction. This aligns with the 2020 State Fire Training Procedures Manual, Section 5.1.5: Enrollment. The Registered Instructor must submit this notification to the SFT Course Scheduler by email in advance of the class (as soon as the Registered Instructor is aware that the student count will be less than 5).
Incident Safety Awareness for Hired Vendors Card (ISAHV)
Beginning January 1, 2024, SFT will cease mailing the physical cards to instructors and/or host agencies. SFT will transition to utilizing digital course diplomas, which aligns with the process for all other SFT courses. Students may log in to the SFT User Portal (Acadis) and print their course completion diploma at any time. Digital diplomas will eliminate the cost and staff time to mail physical cards.

SFT has created a new course verification database to allow CAL FIRE and USFS personnel to verify the dates that vendors completed their last ISAHV course.

Refer to the Staff Report (PDF) and Information Bulletin (PDF) for additional information.
Retirement of SFT ID Legacy Look-Up
In partnership with CSU Sacramento, State Fire Training (SFT) has maintained the Legacy SFT ID Lookup website that allows students to look up their SFT ID number using their last name and the last four digits of their Social Security Number (SSN). As the host, CSU Sacramento has increased its security measures regarding the use of sensitive data, and the site was taken down as of October 6, 2023. The alternatives for obtaining an SFT ID are detailed in the Staff Report.

Additional information on how to retrieve an SFT ID is also included on the Administration page of the SFT website.
NWCG ICS Ratio Update
To align with NWCG standards, State Fire Training updated the Course Plans for several NWCG-based courses. This alignment has resulted in lower total class sizes and smaller instructor-to-student ratios for many of the updated classes. Agencies were required to comply with the updated course plans effective July 1, 2023.

Based on stakeholder feedback since the implementation of this change, SFT is revising the new lower maximum class size and instructor/student ratios to “recommended,” not “required”.

State Fire Training will use the class size and student-to-instructor ratios published in the January 2019 edition of the Course Information and Required Materials Manual (CIRM) to approve requested courses. SFT is in the process of updating the course plans with this updated language.
Fire Control 3 (2018) Amendment of Max Class Size and Instructor/Student Ratios
To simplify and align the course scheduling and delivery processes, SFT will amend the Fire Control 3 (2018) course maximum class size to 30 students. The instructor/student lecture ratio will be updated to 1 Primary Instructor for 30 students, and the instructor/student demonstration ratio to 2 Primary Instructors for 30 students. The amendments above do not affect the instructor/student activities/skills ratios for live fire training; therefore, the change will not increase the risk to student safety or reduce the quality of training.
Curriculum and Certification Updates
Animal Technical Rescue (2021) Curriculum Update
The Animal Technical Rescue curriculum has been updated to ensure an effective and coordinated response to rescuing trapped, stranded, and entangled animals. It is aligned with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1006: Standard for Technical Rescue Personnel Professional Qualifications, 2021 edition.

Review the Implementation Plan (PDF) for more details.
Accredited Academy Updates
ARTP/ALA Accreditation Updates
Hayward Fire Department has been approved for initial accreditation.

Cosumnes River College, American River College, and the College of San Mateo have been approved for reaccreditation.
 
Congratulations to all the Accredited Academies!
Coleman Academy of Excellence Award
The Ronny J. Coleman, California Accredited Academy of Excellence Award will be presented annually to an exemplary Accredited Regional Training Program (ARTP) or Accredited Local Academy (ALA). State Fire Training seeks to honor an academy that constructively influences its students through leadership while establishing and promoting best practices. This academy will be recognized for developing supportive training and education programs that improve the caliber and quality of the California fire service. This academy will be acknowledged for its ability to collaborate successfully within the vocational education community.

To nominate an Accredited Academy, complete the Coleman Award of Excellence Nomination Form (PDF), attach any supplemental documentation, and submit it by January 5, 2024. The award will be presented at the Fresno Training Symposium in March 2024.