Program Overview

The Basic Operations Firefighter Certificate prepares students for entry-level employment in the fire service and eligibility to test for Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Basic Operations Firefighter (BOF) and Hazardous Materials Operations certifications. This 18-credit program combines classroom instruction and hands-on training to develop essential knowledge and skills aligned with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1010: Firefighter Professional Qualifications. Students gain experience in firefighter safety, personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) use, fire behavior, building construction, search and rescue, ventilation, hose operations, fire control, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, and firefighter survival. Instruction emphasizes safety, teamwork, and professional readiness through realistic training environments and live-fire evolutions. Successful completion of the certificate makes students eligible to test for OSFM certification, required for firefighter employment in Illinois

Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

• demonstrate foundational knowledge of fire behavior, combustion, and fire chemistry to understand how fires ignite, spread, and are controlled in various environments.
• analyze the relationship between building construction types and fireground operations to assess structural hazards and implement safe tactical decisions.
• apply principles of firefighter safety and risk management in both emergency operations and daily activities to support a culture of safety and survivability.
• demonstrate knowledge of fire protection systems including detection, suppression, and alarm technologies, and their role in life safety and fire control.
• apply principles of technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and all-hazards operations at the awareness level to support modern firefighter responsibilities.
• demonstrate entry-level firefighter competencies through successful completion of the Basic Operations Firefighter (BOF) modular sequence aligned with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) certification requirements.