Fire officer development programs for Alberta departments and regions
Northline develops fire officers for departments across Alberta, and for groups of departments training their officers together. Command, instruction, safety and incident management are scoped as one program.
On this page 5 sections
Bring the program to your region
Officer development is difficult for one department to carry alone. The members who are ready for it are rarely ready at the same time, and sending one or two away on a course at a time is slow, expensive and hard to schedule around shifts.
Departments in the same county or region solve that by pooling their members and running the program together. Pooling fills the cohort and splits the cost, and officers from neighbouring departments train alongside the people they will work with at a mutual aid incident. Northline delivers the program in the region.
If you are a chief, a deputy or a regional training officer looking at officer development across more than one department, Northline will scope it as one program across the group.
What the program covers
Four components, scoped together or separately, depending on what your officers already hold and what your department is missing.
- Fire Officer, NFPA 1021. Command, supervision, administration and the transition from firefighter to officer. See Fire Officer for departments, which covers Levels I and II.
- Fire Service Instructor, NFPA 1041. The qualification that lets a department develop its own people. See Fire Service Instructor for departments, which covers Levels I and II.
- Safety Officer, NFPA 1521. The Health and Safety Officer program role and the Incident Safety Officer fireground role. See safety officer training.
- Incident Command System. ICS I-100, I-200 and I-300, so officers can work inside the command structure they will be handed at a growing incident. See incident command.
Check Alberta's Fire Officer prerequisites before you scope a program. NFPA 1021 Fire Officer I currently requires NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level I and Level II, hazardous materials awareness and operations, NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor I and current Standard First Aid with CPR Level C. If some of your members are short of one of those, say so and we will build it into the program well before the evaluation.
What your members receive
The four components end in different kinds of document, certified through different organizations. Your members will ask you about this afterwards, so read it before you scope a program.
| Component | Outcome | Certified through |
|---|---|---|
| NFPA 1021 Fire Officer I and II | Pro Board certification | Pro Board, with testing run by Northline |
| NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor I and II | Pro Board certification | Pro Board, with testing run by Northline |
| Health & Safety Officer and Incident Safety Officer (NFPA 1521) | Pro Board certification | An external certifying body, outside the Alberta Fire Rescue Certification Program |
| ICS I-100, I-200 and I-300 | ICS Canada certification | The ICS Canada framework, outside the Alberta Fire Rescue Certification Program |
ICS certifies through ICS Canada. Northline delivers ICS I-100, I-200 and I-300 as ICS Canada curriculum, and your members receive the recognized ICS Canada certificate, the same one they would receive from any approved agency in Alberta. It is an ICS Canada credential outside the Alberta Fire Rescue Certification Program; Pro Board and IFSAC seals belong to the Alberta program's NFPA qualifications.
Safety officer certification sits outside the Alberta program. Health and Safety Officer and Incident Safety Officer carry Pro Board certification administered by an external certifying body, outside the Alberta Fire Rescue Certification Program. The certification arrangements are confirmed in writing before any dates are finalized.
For the two NFPA rows above, Northline delivers the training and runs the testing, and each candidate is evaluated by someone other than their instructor. Candidates who pass are certified through Pro Board, following the Government of Alberta Firefighter Certification Program prerequisites. Finishing the course is a separate step from certification. Alberta publishes the qualifications it certifies, with seals confirmed program by program, so ask us to confirm the seals that apply to your members and we will put it in the written scope.
Where the training happens
Classroom sessions and practical work run at your own hall or training ground, at a regional training facility, or at a location you arrange. For a regional program the host is usually the department with the space, and the surrounding departments send their members there.
Northline travels anywhere in Alberta to deliver it. That removes the travel and accommodation cost of sending members to a city, which is often what makes rural and volunteer departments postpone officer development.
How a program is scoped
Officer development is quoted for each program, because every department arrives with its own mix of officers and qualifications.
- Tell us which departments are involved, how many members you are developing, what they already hold and roughly when you want to run it.
- Northline confirms prerequisites, instructor qualifications, facilities, equipment and practical requirements, and the certification arrangements for each component.
- You receive a written scope and a price for the program, including which parts lead to certification.
- Dates are held once the scope is agreed.
See department training for the full list of qualifications Northline delivers to groups, and Pro Board certification in Alberta for how the provincial certification pathway works.
What people say about our training
“When we got to the delivery portion of the course, Logan walked me through the grading process so I could come in aware of what was expected.”
“I took my 1041 Level 1 and 2 through Logan, and had a wonderful experience. He was able to answer all questions, and was available when I needed help. When we got to the delivery portion of the course, Logan walked me through the grading process so I could come in aware of what was expected. I will be taking future courses here for sure.”
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“Outstanding course. Meticulously delivered, detail-oriented, and incredibly knowledgeable.”
“Outstanding course. Meticulously delivered, detail-oriented, and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend Logan and the Northline team!”
Steve Erickson Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“Logan is an excellent teacher who is intentional with every story he tells and lesson he teaches.”
“Logan is an excellent teacher who is intentional with every story he tells and lesson he teaches. 100% would recommend to any large group hoping to get Intermediate First Aid Red Cross certified!”
Josie Webber Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“Exceptional instruction and care when teaching the red cross first aid course!”
“Exceptional instruction and care when teaching the red cross first aid course!”
Ethan Quirk Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“Great instructor, thorough, knowledgeable and professional.”
“Great instructor, thorough, knowledgeable and professional.”
Shelby Hammond Firefighter, Diamond Valley Fire Rescue NFPA 1002 Aerial Apparatus. -
“Great training, awesome instructors!”
“Great training, awesome instructors!”
Sean Kozachenko Firefighter, Rockyview County Fire Services Fire Service Instructor I, NFPA 1041. -
“Logan was great to work with. Very prompt and thorough. Helpful and professional in the delivery of our NFPA courses.”
“Logan was great to work with. Very prompt and thorough. Helpful and professional in the delivery of our NFPA courses.”
Andy V Rope Team Member, Foothills Search & Rescue -
“Excellent Instructors, extremely knowledgeable!”
“Excellent Instructors, extremely knowledgeable!”
Kevin Murray Firefighter/Paramedic, Rockyview County Fire Services -
“Fantastic instructors and very well run.”
“Fantastic instructors and very well run.”
Ryley Dimmer Firefighter, Calgary Fire Department -
“Very enjoyable and thorough!”
“Very enjoyable and thorough!”
Andrew Rasmussen Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“Very fun and informative”
“Very fun and informative”
Logan Quirk Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“I have taken this course many times and was pleased to get new knowledge as well as a great reinforcement of existing skills”
“Logan brought a very interesting and relatable program to our group
I have taken this course many times and was pleased to get new knowledge as well as a great reinforcement of existing skills
I would highly recommend this group as trainers!”
GoGravel Canada Intermediate/Standard First Aid, group training. -
“I would highly recommend Northline Emergency to anyone who is preparing for an interview in the fire service.”
“I used Northline Emergency Training & Consulting to prepare for an upcoming interview. River was great to work with, and ensured that I was prepared even with the limited time that I had. I would highly recommend Northline Emergency to anyone who is preparing for an interview in the fire service.”
Bryce Duke Calgary Fire Department interview preparation. -
“I would highly recommend working with River as an interview coach!”
“I was fortunate to work with River in preparation for my interview with Calgary Fire and with his support and expertise, I was able to score high in the interview process. River was thorough with helping me understand exactly what I could expect, setting me up with success early on. His feedback during interview prep was very helpful and allowed me to make some important changes to elevate my interview style and answers. I would highly recommend working with River as an interview coach!”
Ashleigh Baker Calgary Fire Department interview preparation. -
“Reasonable price. Great information and assistance.”
“Reasonable price. Great information and assistance.”
Samuel Ruzza Edmonton Fire Rescue Services interview preparation. -
“If you are looking to start a career in emergency services, this is where I would start.”
“If you are looking to start a career in emergency services, this is where I would start.”
William Graham Firefighter, Calgary Fire Department -
“…played an integral role in my success at this stage!”
“This was my second time applying for the Calgary Fire Department. I made it to the interview process my first time and I did not perform well. I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t the case my second time around so I did my research and I signed up for the Firefighter Interview Intensive Course with Northline.
Working with River was a game changer. His help throughout the preparation process gave me a lot of confidence walking into the interview. The time and effort River put in to making sure that I understood the process and that I was properly prepared for whatever questions were asked played an integral role in my success at this stage!
If you are an aspiring firefighter looking for someone who truly cares and wants you to succeed, I highly recommend reaching out to Northline!”
Graham MacDonald Calgary Fire Department interview preparation. -
“I had a 10/10 experience with the consulting they provided me in preparation for my STAR format interview.”
“I had a 10/10 experience with the consulting they provided me in preparation for my STAR format interview. Logan & River are professionals that leverage years of experience in their respective fields to give you an edge going into STAR format interviews.
I couldn’t recommend them enough, these two gentlemen will have you ready to succeed.”
Dustin Magee Calgary Fire Department interview preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Can several departments run this program together?
Yes. A single department often has too few officers coming up at the same time to run a program on its own. Departments in the same county or region pool their members, share the cost and train together. Northline delivers it in the region, so members train close to home.
Do all four components carry certification?
Yes. Different organizations administer them, so check which body certifies each component before you scope a program. For NFPA 1021 Fire Officer and NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor, Northline runs the testing under Alberta's Firefighter Certification Program, which is Pro Board accredited, and candidates who pass are certified through Pro Board. Health and Safety Officer and Incident Safety Officer carry Pro Board certification administered by an external certifying body, outside the Alberta program. ICS I-100, I-200 and I-300 certify through ICS Canada, which sits outside the Alberta Fire Rescue Certification Program. The certificate is an ICS Canada credential; Pro Board and IFSAC seals belong to the Alberta program's NFPA qualifications. Alberta publishes the qualifications it certifies, with seals confirmed program by program, so ask us to confirm the seals that apply to your members and we will put it in the written scope. The outcomes table on this page sets out who certifies each component.
Do we have to take the whole program?
Departments commonly start with Fire Officer and Fire Service Instructor and add safety officer and ICS later, or scope only the parts they are missing. Tell us where your officers are now and we will scope what is needed.
Where does the training happen?
At your own hall or training ground, at a regional training facility, or at a location you arrange. Northline travels anywhere in Alberta to deliver it. For a regional program the host department is usually the one with the space, and the other departments send their members there.
How long does the program take and how many members can attend?
Both are set in the proposal. They depend on which components you take, how many members you are developing, how many departments are involved and how your schedule works. Tell us what you are trying to build and the scope will state both in writing.
Who delivers the training?
Northline's core team delivers the program. Instructor qualifications, prerequisites, facilities, equipment and practical requirements are confirmed before any dates are finalized. Northline delivers the training, and the outcomes table names who certifies each component.
How do we start?
Request a proposal and tell us which departments are involved and roughly when you want to run it. Northline confirms the scope with you in writing, including the certification arrangements for each component, before any dates are held.
Request an officer development proposal
Tell us which departments are involved, which qualifications you are considering and your timeframe. If you are still deciding which parts you need, say so and we will work it out with you. You get a written scope with one price for the whole program. It stands on its own, so it can go into a funding or grant application, and we can work to your budget year.
“Evaluation process was well defined and run, with clear performance based expectations.”
Dave CranTeam Lead & Training Coordinator, Foothills Search & Rescue