Jan. deadline approaches for firefighter certification

Firefighters will have to renew certification every three years.

staff report

COLUMBUS — Jan. 24 is the deadline to renew firefighter certification in order to continue to practice firefighting in Ohio, officials of the Ohio Department of Public Safety announced.

This is the first time since the adoption of new fire rules in January 2008 that firefighters must renew their certification, so some firefighters may still be unaware of the closing date, they said.

Officials noted that renewing is “simple” and can be done online at www.ems.ohio.gov.

“The Division of Emergency Medical Services has worked hard to share information regarding the new fire law, training and education that became effective this year to ensure that every firefighter in the state has ample time to renew their licensures to continue to serve their communities,” said Richard Rucker, executive director of the division.

The adoption of the fire rules mandated that within 12 months of the effective date (Jan. 24, 2008), rules must be established and the executive director of EMS must phase in the renewal of current certificates over a 12-month period after the effective date.

Under the new rules, firefighters are required to complete 54 hours of training every three years, which breaks down to 18 hours a year or 1 Ω hours per month. Every three years they will be required to renew with the completed training, officials said.

Previously, firefighters were certified only once, upon initial approval of their application.

The new rules will allow better training and tracking of certificate holders as well as enhance the skills of the firefighters who ultimately improve the level of care for Ohioans, a spokeswoman said.