National Fire Academy Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Course: Plans Review for Fire and Life Safety (R/N0393)

Curriculum: Fire Prevention: Technical

This intermediate-level, 6-day course will assist the student in verifying that construction 

documents comply with applicable building and fire codes for fire protection and life safety 

requirements. 

Subjects addressed in the course include site plan reviews for emergency apparatus access, water 

supply and hydrants for fire protection; review of architectural drawings for construction 

requirements, means of egress for life safety and fire-resistive compartmentalization; and 

engineering design drawings addressing mechanical, electrical and plumbing components 

including basic fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems overview. 

Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

All new contract instructors or those wishing to expand their teaching portfolio must be 

instructionally dedicated to the Fire Prevention: Technical curriculum and cannot cross 

boundaries teaching in other National Fire Academy (NFA) curricula. With technological 

changes and advances occurring regularly within the industry, instructors are expected to remain 

current and relevant. Interest with other curricula will signal a voluntary withdrawal of teaching 

privileges from the Fire Prevention: Technical courses.

This curriculum teaches finely detailed and meticulously specific content concerning 

construction and maintenance codes, standards, guides, recommended practices, testing criteria, 

and manufacturers’ specifications for the built environment. Instructors must be national subject 

matter experts, as compared to a local, fundamentally strong code enforcer, since the country has 

a geographically diverse array of students and code requirements.

A major characteristic necessary to serve in this instructional capacity is the willingness to coach 

the student cadre to success. The philosophy of the instructor is to mentor less knowledgeable 

individuals by transferring highly detailed information, using verbal skills coupled with visual 

graphics, to propel them to excellence. This curriculum does not support self-absorbed 

instructors appeasing their own interests but is squarely focused on the student-centered learning 

outcome.

All new contract instructors shall be evaluated in 3 consecutive course deliveries in accordance 

with the NFA’s Contract Instructor Evaluation program. Existing contract instructors are subject 

to evaluation in accordance with this program. 
1. Academic Requirement

a. Bachelor’s degree from an institution that is accredited in fire protection 

engineering, fire protection engineering technology, fire science, architecture or 

similar program. Candidates are encouraged to have successfully completed this 

course in the last 3 years and/or served as an adjunct instructor (in training) in the 

course.

b. Candidates with an associate degree from an institution that is accredited in fire 

protection technology, fire administration, fire science, architecture or similar 

program will be entertained on a case-by-case basis. Additional formal education 

consisting of 1 semester each of college-level algebra and physics must have been 

successfully completed. Candidates are encouraged to have successfully 

completed this course in the last 3 years and/or served as an adjunct instructor (in 

training) in the course. 

2. Documented Technical Knowledge and Relevant Experience

a. The candidate must have extensive experience as a plans examiner/reviewer/

checker for a local, state or national entity that is legally responsible for the 

enforcement of building and/or fire codes. Provide specific, quantifiable and 

qualifiable (simplistic to complex) examples of work performed and the codes 

and standards (editions) utilized. Experience as a design professional working 

through the process of designing, coordinating with other trade disciplines and 

submitting designs for permits is an acceptable alternative. List the examples in a 

tabular format such as:

Project name Value, square footage or 

description

Codes and 

editions Year

Acme Hotel 7-story high-rise hotel 

including swimming pool, 

restaurant and integrated 

parking garage, $50 million

2018 IBC, 2018 

IFC, 2018 LSC 

2020

ACME Hardware 

and Warehouse 

500,000-square-foot 

mercantile store and 

warehouse

2021 IBC, 2018 

NFPA 1

Current
b. The candidate should be experienced, proficient and knowledgeable of current 

issues in the field of expertise for the content of this course. Active participation

with relevant national code and/or standard committees, such as National Fire 

Protection Association (NFPA) and International Code Council (ICC) committees

or state committees for adoption of building and fire codes, is highly 

recommended. List the examples in a tabular format such as:

Committees Year(s)

NFPA 1, Building Systems and Special Occupancies 

subcommittee (alternate)

2016-present

Maryland State Fire Prevention Committee — Code Update 2018

c. The candidate should have the necessary education and experience to be capable 

of presenting all units of the course. It is recognized that exceptions may occur 

where courses are of such a technical nature that no one person may be 

technically competent to instruct all units. Verifiable examples of professional 

licensure such as Professional Engineer, Registered Architect and Certified Safety 

Professional can be provided. Professional certificates such as Certified Fire 

Protection Specialist, Certified Building Official, Certified Fire Marshal, ICC or 

NFPA Fire Plans Examiner, or ICC General Plans Examiner can be submitted. 

List the information in a tabular format such as:

Licenses Regulatory 

body Dates

Professional Engineer Maryland 1994-current

Certified Safety Professional ASSE 2005-2015

Certifications Organization Dates

Certified Building Official ICC 2000-current

Certified Fire Protection Specialist NFPA 2001-current

d. Current knowledge of civil engineering site plans including, but not limited to, 

landscaping plans, grading plans, utility plans and traffic design plans. Provide a 

narrative to support your knowledge and experience.

e. Expert-level knowledge of architectural design drawings including architectural 

details, hardware schedules, exiting components and fire-rated design details.

Provide a narrative to support your knowledge and experience. 

f. Extensive knowledge of mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering plans 

including heating, ventilating and air conditioning layout and schedules; electrical 

cabinet and panel schematics including emergency/standby power supplies; and 

domestic and fire protection water supply piping. Provide a narrative to support 

your knowledge and experience. 
g. Experience with occupancy classifications and hazards, occupant life safety

components, building exiting systems, occupant load calculations and egress 

width determination. Provide a narrative to support your knowledge and 

experience.

h. Current expertise of the behavior of fire and its effects on building materials and 

systems; human behavior in fire situations; fire, heat, and smoke spread and travel 

in a structure; building construction classifications; and principles of controlling 

fire hazards associated with hazardous materials. Provide a narrative to support 

your knowledge and experience. 

3. Documented Educational Instruction and Experience

Accepted formal instructional training, such as: 

a. State and/or national fire training instructor certificate. List the information in a 

tabular format such as:

Certificates Year completed

Fire Instructor I (PA) 2015

Fire Instructor II (MD) 2016

IFSAC Fire Service Instructor I 2015

Pro Board Fire Instructor II 2017

b. College instructor/professor’s credential with courses designed/instructed. List the 

information in a tabular format such as:

Institution Credential Courses

University of Maryland Lecturer Fire Protection Hydraulics

Oklahoma State University Adjunct Faculty Building Construction 

Components

c. College education instruction courses with a transcript supplied. List the 

information in a tabular format such as:

Institution Course 

number Course name

University of Maryland TLPL 101 Inquiry Approach to Teaching 

STEM

University of Maryland 

Global Campus EDTP 600 Foundations of Teaching for Learning
d. A minimum of 48 hours of detailed, documented and successful fire/emergency 

services instruction listing each course and dates of delivery. List the information

in a tabular format such as:

Courses Frequency/history

Firefighter I (120 hours) Once/January 2015-May 2015

Fire Inspector 1 (40 hours) October 2016, April 2017, August 2017, January

2018

e. Speaking engagements and/or presentations at national/state conferences for the 

fire service or other relevant professional organizations with a listing of topics and 

dates.

Conference Topic Year

NFPA Annual Conference NFPA 25 Proposed Changes 2020

ICC Expo and Code Hearings Marijuana Code Concerns 2019

4. Continuing Practice or Education

Ability to maintain currency in the field and the specific course by:

a. Teaching a similar course at a training academy, college or university.

b. Taking a similar course within the last 5 years.

c. Developing a similar course within the last 5 years.

d. Teaching the course at the NFA or in the field within the last 2 years.

e. Writing and researching a paper or article related to the course topic for at least 1

of the fire service or related disciplines’ trade journals within the last 2 years.

f. Attending and/or speaking at a conference related to the field at the local, state, 

tribal or national level within the last 3 years.

g. Active participation with local/state/national building/fire code(s) or standard(s) 

committee(s).

Failure to provide approved documentation of ongoing training or instruction may result 

in revocation of the contract instructor status.

5. How To Submit a Portfolio

Follow the instructions located on the website:

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/instructors_officials/criteria.html.

A portfolio addressing all of the previous items must be submitted to: femanfainstructorapp@fema.dhs.gov.