National Fire Academy Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Course: Leadership Strategies for Community Risk Reduction (R0200)

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 Emergency Medical Services 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 from 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’s Contract Instructor Evaluation

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

1. Academic Requirement

The candidate should possess a graduate level degree from an accredited institution of

higher education. Consideration will be given to those candidates who possess a bachelor’s 

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

community risk reduction. Academic degrees should be in a discipline closely related to 

subjects covered in this course, public administration, emergency management, public 

health, or other related fields.

2. Instructional Experience

a. Candidates must have successfully completed a recognized education methodology

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

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

Candidates must be proficient in the facilitation of intensive, small work groups.
b. Course attendance within the last three years as a student or a contract instructor

trainee.

3. Continuing Practice or Education

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

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

b. taking a similar course within the 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 of 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