The Massachusetts Fire Training Council (MFTC) is the sole certifying agency for the certification and training of all levels of fire service personnel within the Commonwealth. The Governor appoints the council. The council discusses and develops policies which drive certification. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) is the operational arm of the council. It develops exams to various professional qualification standards. It also administers the exams and documents all activities of certification candidates.
About Firefighter Certification
Firefighter certification stimulates professional development in the Massachusetts fire service. Certification is voluntary. Some fire departments may require some levels of certification.
Under Massachusetts General law Chapter 670, Section 165A, the MFTC administers Massachusetts fire service certification. The MFTC includes representatives of major Massachusetts fire service organizations and citizens.
Find Out More About Firefighter Certification
Log onto the DFS Learning Management System to:
- Learn more about the certification process and steps to complete here (link coming soon)
- Learn more about the TECH RESCUE NFPA 1006 CERTIFICATION HERE
- Sign up for an exam on LMS
MFA Certification Skill Sheets
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Fire Instructor I - 1041-2019 Skill Sheets, Open PDF file, 334.69 KB (English, PDF 334.69 KB)
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Fire Instructor II - 1041-2019 Skill Sheets, Open PDF file, 425.24 KB (English, PDF 425.24 KB)
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Fire Officer I - 1021-2020 Skill Sheets Part A, Open PDF file, 636.93 KB (English, PDF 636.93 KB)
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Fire Officer I - 1021-2020 Skill Sheets Verbal Part B, Open PDF file, 398.71 KB (English, PDF 398.71 KB)
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Fire Officer II - 1021-2024 Skill Sheets Part A, Open PDF file, 351.51 KB (English, PDF 351.51 KB)
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Fire Officer II - 1021-2020 Skill Sheets Verbal Part B, Open PDF file, 528.6 KB (English, PDF 528.6 KB)
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Hazardous Materials Operational Level Responder - 470-2022 Skill Sheets, Open PDF file, 408.72 KB (English, PDF 408.72 KB)
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First Responder Training Documentation for Firefighter I / II, Open PDF file, 80.02 KB (English, PDF 80.02 KB)
Requesting a Certification Exam
Fire departments or training districts can request a certification exam. Use this MFA Course Requests.
Submit requests at least 60 days before the exam date. We approve requests based on the availability of facilities, funding and personnel.
MFA reviews and approves requests on a first come, first serve basis. We reserve the right to:
- change,
- add candidates,
- and combine approved dates, locations, and times
based on the number of applicants.
Open Certification Exams
We have exam notification lists for all levels. Students on the list are emailed each time we schedule an exam.
Classroom capacities are reduced due to the pandemic. We use the notification lists to schedule exams at one of our three campuses, based on student needs. We run two open written exams each month. Log into your LMS account to apply.
Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Student Materials
This link will take you to the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Student Materials webpage, where you can access additional reference materials for your courses as needed.
Reference Manuals
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C60 Structural Collapse Reference Manual, Open PDF file, 15.05 MB (English, PDF 15.05 MB)
Public Safety Fire Investigator Certification Coalition (MPSFICC)
- Comprised of MFTC, MA State Police, MA Criminal Justice Training Council
- MPSFICC is under the authority of the Secretary of Public Safety and Security
- MFA provides Fire Investigation Training under the authority of MPSFICC and MFTC
Credentialing
- Certification does not oversee credentialing
- Please visit the MFA website for further details on Fire Chief and Fire Prevention Officer credentialing