National Fire Academy Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

Course: Community Risk Reduction: A Policy Approach (R0670)

Curriculum: Fire Prevention: Management

This six-day course will empower students with the ability to create, evaluate and defend public

policy in their home community. The course is also designed to facilitate understanding of how

codes and regulations can be used as an effective component in fire prevention, fire mitigation

and overall community risk reduction. The course will address how to use a risk assessment to

prioritize risk; develop a problem statement and recommend a strategic prevention intervention

using public policy; design a strategy to build support for a public policy, develop and submit a

proposal; understand the issue resolution process; and market, apply and evaluate the new public

policy.

Criteria for Contract Instructor Selection

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 minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited

institution of higher education. The degree should be in a discipline closely related to the

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

safety engineering, engineering technology, project management, political science,

project management, etc. Preference will be given to candidates possessing professional

registration or certifications. Graduate degree is preferred related to the subject area.

2. Instructional Experience

a. Candidates must demonstrate that they have experience in public policy

development, adoption, implementation and evaluation and can facilitate learning

to a diverse student population with a broad range of training and experience.

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

trainee.

3. Documented Knowledge and Experience in the Subject Area

Candidates must address in the submission their knowledge and experience in each of

the following course topical areas:

a. Code development and enforcement in fire and building codes as demonstrated by

experience.
b. How a public policy is proposed and how a strategy is built to support the use of

public policy as a prevention intervention.

c. How to facilitate a successful issue resolution process for a public policy.

d. How to develop an implementation and application plan for a newly adopted

public policy.

e. How to evaluate the effectiveness of a public policy.

4. 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.

5. 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