National Fire Academy Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Course: Leadership Strategies for Community Risk Reduction (VIP) (R0833)

Curriculum: Fire Prevention Management

This six-day course is designed to enhance knowledge and skills necessary to lead and manage 

fire prevention, community risk-reduction initiatives, illness prevention, and health promotion 

at the local level. This course will give students tools and techniques to raise the level of 

importance for prevention within their organization. The course will demonstrate how fire 

prevention and other risk-reduction initiatives can benefit them directly and individually in 

providing a safer work environment. Students will be guided through a process that shows how 

to strategically build support internally and externally for community risk reduction, the steps 

and activities necessary to sustain programs and how these come together to create effective 

risk-reduction programs. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop fire and EMS leaders and

managers who are committed, in word and deed, to comprehensive multihazard community risk 

reduction.

There is a pre-course assignment where students build a demographic and risk profile of their 

home community. They examine social, cultural, economic and environmental trends that 

impact community risk. The course examines the role of the community risk- reduction leader, 

how to assess community risk, how to develop a draft plan for a local risk-reduction initiative, 

and applying change management models and organizational and community politics.

Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Only contract instructors on the “Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction” list are 

eligible to teach this course. All new contract instructors shall be evaluated in three consecutive 

course deliveries in accordance with the National Fire Academy Contract Instructor Evaluation 

program. Existing contract instructors are subject to evaluation in accordance with this program.

1. Academic Requirement

a. A graduate level degree from an accredited institution of higher education is 

desired. Consideration will be given to those applicants who possess a Bachelor’s 

degree from an accredited institution of higher education and who have vast 

experience in community risk reduction.

b. Academic degrees should be in a discipline closely related to subjects covered in 

this course, i.e., public administration, emergency management, public health or 

other related fields.

c. Course attendance within the last three years as a student or a contract instructor 

trainee.
2. Instructional Experience

Candidates must have successfully completed a recognized education methodology

course and must demonstrate successful instructional delivery to adult learners at local, 

regional, state, and/or federal training academies, colleges, or universities. Candidates 

must be proficient in the facilitation of intensive, small work groups.

3. Continuing Practice or Education

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

a. teaching a similar course at a college or university level;

b. taking a similar course within last five years;

c. writing and researching a paper or article related to the course topic for at least 

one of the fire service or related disciplines’ trade journals within the last two

years; or

d. attending and/or speaking at a conference related to the field at the local, state or 

national level within the last three years.

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

in revocation of the contract instructor status.

4. How to Submit an Application 

The following documents are required with each submission:

a. A cover letter listing the courses you want to teach.

b. Your résumé.

c. Documentation that clearly addresses how you meet the instructor selection 

criteria for each course you are seeking to teach (e.g., academic requirement, 

instructional experience, knowledge and experience in the subject matter, and 

continuing practice or education). This document needs to be written in that order. 

Incomplete packages will not be processed.

d. Three references from persons who are knowledgeable about your character as 

well as your teaching ability. One reference letter should be from the department 

or agency head in your organization or certifying organization.

e. Include a current email address so we can communicate more efficiently with 

you.

Application package(s) must be submitted to:

National Fire Academy

fema-nfainstructorapp@fema.dhs.gov