Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) Selection Criteria

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The selection criteria for the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) is divided between two areas:

Interested applicants are urged to read all criteria carefully to ensure that the minimum requirements are met when submitting their application package.

Service Requirement

At the time of application, the applicant must be in a rank/position that complies with one of the following:

For interested applicants who are not in the positions previously described, those who are serving in supervisory level positions (e.g. Battalion Chief, Captain, Lieutenant) will also be considered for EFOP as part of the Service Requirement if the applicant can demonstrate having previously exercised leadership within their organizations, and who aspire to more senior positions of authority within their Departments. This audience category is referred to as Key Leading Candidates.

Firefighters, Firefighter Paramedics, Engineers, Drivers or Chauffeurs will not be considered as eligible in meeting the EFOP Service Requirement.

Academic Requirement

Since this requirement has recently changed, please review carefully and note that it will change again on June 15, 2013.

For applications submitted between now and June 15, 2013: Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from a college or university whose accreditation and status is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The applicant should submit a photo copy of their diploma certificate.

For applications submitted after June 15, 2013: Applications submitted after June 15, 2013 until June 15, 2014 will be for the FY 2015 class. The EFOP selection process regarding the academic pre-requisite requirement will now become (after June 15, 2013) a two-tiered transcript-based evaluation process.

Applicants qualified under Tier 1 must have a baccalaureate degree including:

  1. A minimum of 60 college credit hours (or quarter-hour equivalent) must come from course work not associated with “credit by examination and/or “life experiences” (including credit for non-academic certificate courses and/or professional certifications).
    1. No more than 30 college credit hours (or quarter-hour equivalent) from “credit by examination” i.e. DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), etc.
    2. No more than 30 college credit hours from “life experiences” (including credit for non-academic certificate courses and/or professional certifications).
  2. Applicants must include within their application package an official transcript and one of the following:
    1. A letter from the degree granting institution certifying that no more than 30 hours of the college credit (or quarter-hour equivalent) came from “credit by examination” and/or 30 hours of the college credit came from “life experience” (including credit for non-academic certificate courses and/or professional certification) – or;
    2. A copy of the policy of the degree granting institution indicating that no more than 30 hours of the college credit (or quarter-hour equivalent) towards a baccalaureate degree may be gained through “credit by examination”, and no more than 30 hours of college credit towards a baccalaureate degree may be gained through “life experience” (including credit for non-academic certificate courses and/or professional certifications).

Applicants qualified under Tier 2:

Applicants with degrees from nationally and regionally accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education yet not meeting the 30/30/60 credit hours distribution as described within Tier 1 will be considered, but categorized as Tier 2. Tier 2 applicants will compete for the remaining vacancies after all Tier 1 applicants have been admitted.

National Fire Academy staff may consider additional changes in required documentation necessary to facilitate this modified selection process. For example: if details in the official transcript include the number of credits by examination and life experience, additional documents may not be required.

Other selection criteria (e.g., rank, position, responsibilities) as previously described within Service Requirement remain in practice.

The National Fire Academy will provide a review of the selection process and relevant criteria to the National Fire Academy Board of Visitors at the end of each year.

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