Section 141.250  State Certifications

a)         Qualified candidates for certification shall be at least 18 years of age and meet one of the following employment prerequisites:

1)         Engaged in firefighting in an organized Illinois fire department in accordance with the Act and attested by the candidate's employing fire chief;

2)         Employed by a local governmental agency;

3)         Employed by a fire brigade;

4)         Employee of the Office; or

5)         Individuals who have retired from active fire service duties and are officially affiliated with fire service training, mutual aid, incident command, fire ground operations, or staff support for fire associations.

b)         Certifications shall be granted when all requirements for that level are met as provided in Subpart D.  It shall be the responsibility of the candidate’s employing chief, or their designee, to verify and attest completion of all prerequisites set out in Subpart D prior to submitting an Application for Certification to the Division, utilizing the DPSE WebAccess Portal.

c)         Employing departments of candidates receiving certification shall be sent electronic notification of the certification from the Division.  The candidate can view and print their certification by utilizing the DPSE WebAccess Portal.

d)         The certification program does not recognize certification levels as ranks due to the inconsistency of rank structures utilized by fire departments throughout the State.

e)         Refer to Section 141.395 for clarification on how to utilize obsolete certifications as prerequisites for certifications and instructor qualifications.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 424, effective January 1, 2023)