National Fire Academy Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Course: Commercial Fire Sprinkler System Plans Review (R0263)

Curriculum: Fire Prevention: Technical

This advanced-level, rigorous, 5-day course will enable students to perform a shop drawing 

review to evaluate the suitability of the fire sprinkler plans and hydraulic calculations in 

accordance with nationally recognized standards for design and installation. Course content 

covers fire protection standards, shop drawing reading, water supplies, building envelope 

features, fire protection hydraulic mathematics and wet-type sprinkler system components. There 

is significant pre-course work, graded activities and a final project.

Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

All new contract instructors or those existing instructors 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. 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 Contract Instructor Evaluation program. Existing contract instructors are subject to 

evaluation in accordance with this program. 

1. Academic Requirement

a. The candidate should possess a master’s degree in fire protection engineering or 

another closely related field from an accredited institution. 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. Consideration will also be given to those candidates with a bachelor’s degree 

from an accredited institution that confers a degree in fire protection engineering, 

fire protection technology, fire administration, fire science or similar program. All 

candidates should have at least 1 semester of each of the following courses: 

algebra, fire protection hydraulics and physics. 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 sprinkler system plans 

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

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

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

and standards (editions) utilized. Experience as a sprinkler 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, 

14 hydraulic calculations, 

1,527 sprinklers

2018 IBC, 2018 

IFC, 2018 LSC, 

2016 NFPA 13 

2020

ACME Hardware 

and Warehouse 

500,000-square-foot 

mercantile store and 

warehouse (ESFR), 525 

sprinklers, 7 hydraulic 

calculations

2021 IBC, 2019 

NFPA 13

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 can be provided. Professional certificates 

such as National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies WaterBased Systems Layout Levels III or IV, NFPA Certified Water-Based Systems 

Professional, or ICC Commercial Fire Sprinkler Plans Examiner can be 

submitted.

Licenses Regulatory 

body Dates

Professional Engineer Maryland 1994-current

Certifications Organization Dates

NICET Water-Based Level IV NICET 2000-current

Certified Fire Protection Specialist NFPA 2001-current

d. Experienced, proficient and knowledgeable of current issues in the field of 

expertise with reviewing/designing sprinkler shop drawings and 

verifying/performing hydraulic calculations. Provide a narrative to support your 

knowledge and experience. 

e. Current knowledge of hydraulic calculation programs incorporating Hazen 

Williams or Darcy-Weibach formulas. Provide a narrative to support your 

knowledge and experience 

f. Current knowledge of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler 

Systems, for automatic sprinkler systems and NFPA 291, Recommended Practice 

for Water Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants, for water supply requirements 

supplying fire suppression systems. Provide a narrative to support your 

knowledge and experience. 

g. Current knowledge of the behavior of fire and its effects on building materials and 

sprinkler systems; fire, heat, and smoke spread and travel in a structure; building 

construction classifications; and principles of protecting fire hazards listed by

NFPA 13 classifications. Provide a narrative to support your knowledge and 

experience.
3. Documented Educational Instruction and Experience

Accepted formal instructional training, such as: 

a. State fire training certificate and courses taught with frequency/history. 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.