Requirements for Becoming a Michigan Firefighter
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The Michigan Bureau of Fire Services is the governing body for the state's more than 31,000 firefighters.
zak image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
The state of Michigan has nearly 1,100 fire departments and 32,000 firefighters, whose training and certification is overseen by the Office of Fire Fighter Training (OFFT). Entry-level firefighters can earn the Fire Fighter I and the more advanced Fire Fighter II designations in one of two ways: younger candidates must enroll in a training program before passing the certification exams, while more experienced candidates may bypass the training process entirely.
Qualifying Requirements
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Most fire fighting candidates in Michigan must be at least 18 years old and members of a state fire department, or be registered with a training center through an accredited college or university. Many firefighters choose to pursue a bachelor's degree in a related field before enrolling in a training program, but this is up to the firefighter. Notable exceptions include sponsorees of a fire department cadet program or the Boy Scouts of America Explorer Program, who must be 16 or 17. For more information contact the OFFT directly.
Bureau of Fire Services/OFFT
525 W. Allegan St, 4th Floor
Lansing, MI 48913-0001
517-241-8847
michigan.gov
Regional Training Program
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Candidates should complete a regional OFFT training program offered at an accredited institution or training center. This is the only path for cadets and explorer scouts, but recruits with college degrees are not required to enroll in an OFFT program. Check the Bureau of Fire Services website for a list of local training centers, including Lansing Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the NW Regional Fire Training Center. This training program, also referred to as Fire Fighter I training, is designed to help cadets and explorer scouts prepare for the FF I certification exam.
Fire Fighter I Exam
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The FF I exam actually consists of two tests: a written test and skills exam. The test covers such areas as safety and water fire streams. Candidates who are 18 years old and members of a fire department, however, are allowed to challenge the certification exam; that is, they can bypass the mandated OFFT training program. The exam itself consists of 100 questions--where a 70 percent is the passing score--on the written exam, and 10 skills stations on the second test. The challenger exam application is available on the OFFT website.
Fire Fighting II Exam
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After receiving their FF I certification (by completing their training and passing the FF I exam) candidates may enroll in the FF II training program, which deals with advanced concepts such as rescue and extrication tools, and fire cause and origin. Candidates must once again pass the written and skills exams, with 70 percent again being the acceptable benchmark. Those who are at least 18 years and members of a fire department may once again choose to bypass the training program and challenge the exam.
Retesting
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Not everyone passes the certification exam on their first attempt, and those who fail either, or both, exams will be notified at least six weeks before the next test date. As such, do not wait until the last minute to begin studying for the exam. You may check the OFFT website for outlines of both exams so that you can begin studying and preparing well in advance.
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