Performance Details

Department of Public Safety - Alaska Fire Standards Council

• Return to Departments
• Alaska Fire Standards Council website

Mission

Establish professional standards for fire service personnel, and curriculum requirements for the certification of training programs.

Core Services

• Provide relevant standards adoption through review process.
• Ensure that existing standards are updated to latest revisions.

Mission Results	Core Services
A: Professional certification for firefighters in Alaska.  Details > TARGET #1: Increase number of certification levels by one	A1: Provide relevant standards adoption through review process.  Details > TARGET #1: Adopt and/or develop one additional training standard annually for use in Alaska A2: Ensure that existing standards are updated to latest revisions.  Details > TARGET #1: Review and update 20% of existing standards annually

Performance Detail

Target #1: Increase number of certification levels by one Number of Adopted Certification Levels Fiscal Year Number Adopted This Year Total Programs Target FY 2021 1 0% 40 +2.56% 39 0% FY 2020 0 0% 39 0% 39 +2.63% FY 2019 0 0% 39 0% 38 +2.7% FY 2018 0 0% 39 0% 37 +2.78% FY 2017 0 -100% 39 0% 36 +2.86% FY 2016 3 +200% 39 +8.33% 35 +2.94% FY 2015 1 0% 36 +2.86% 34 +3.03% FY 2014 0 -100% 35 0% 33 +6.45% FY 2013 3 +50% 35 +9.38% 31 +6.9% FY 2012 2 -33.33% 32 +6.67% 29 +7.41% FY 2011 3 0% 30 +11.11% 27 +8% FY 2010 3 +200% 27 +12.5% 25 +8.7% FY 2009 1 0% 24 +4.35% 23 +9.52% FY 2008 0 -100% 23 0% 21 +10.53% FY 2007 3 -40% 23 +15% 19 +11.76% FY 2006 5 20 17 Analysis of results and challenges: The Alaska Fire Standards Council (Council) did adopt one new certification level during FY2021. The Council also adopted new standards and is in the process of updating each certification level The Council office maintains certification directives to support the needs of fire department training programs and refines processes for greater efficiencies for future certification level adoption. The Council improved services through certification database enhancements resulting in additional administrative efficiencies. Each certification directive references an adopted standard and can contain multiple levels of certification. Since 2008 the Council has significantly increased the number of certification levels and there are fewer targets for future adoption. The target datum shows that the Council capacity to adopt new levels annually is limited. The target of increasing the certification level by one has not been met with multiple levels adopted in the preceding four fiscal years.

Target #1: Adopt and/or develop one additional training standard annually for use in Alaska Number of Adopted Training Standards Fiscal Year Number Adopted This Year Total Standards Target FY 2021 1 0% 17 0% 18 +5.88% FY 2020 0 -100% 17 +6.25% 17 0% FY 2019 1 0% 16 +6.67% 17 +6.25% FY 2018 0 0% 15 0% 16 0% FY 2017 0 -100% 15 0% 16 +6.67% FY 2016 1 0% 15 +7.14% 15 +7.14% FY 2015 0 0% 14 0% 14 +7.69% FY 2014 0 -100% 14 0% 13 +8.33% FY 2013 3 +200% 14 +27.27% 12 +9.09% FY 2012 1 0% 11 +10% 11 +10% FY 2011 0 -100% 10 0% 10 +11.11% FY 2010 2 +100% 10 +25% 9 +12.5% FY 2009 1 0% 8 +14.29% 8 +14.29% FY 2008 0 -100% 7 0% 7 +16.67% FY 2007 3 +200% 7 +75% 6 +20% FY 2006 1 4 5 Analysis of results and challenges: The Council did adopt one new training standard during FY2021. Although the adoption of new standards is a high priority, the Council is focused on the review of fire standards for appropriateness in the Alaska certification process. National and locally developed standards are the basis for each level of certification and are revised every three to five years. A single standard can contain multiple levels of certification. The number of previously adopted new standards increased service support for maintaining existing standards, and the Council has fewer targets for future adoption of new standards. The target datum shows that the Council capacity to adopt two standards annually decreased and this target was reduced to one in FY2016. In FY2021, this target was met and implemented for professional qualifications in Alaska.

Target #1: Review and update 20% of existing standards annually Number of Reviewed/Updated Training Standards Fiscal Year Number Updated this Year % of Total Standards FY 2021 9 -35.71% 56% FY 2020 14 +1300% 87.5% FY 2019 1 0% 6% FY 2018 1 -50% 6% FY 2017 2 -33.33% 13% FY 2016 3 -50% 21% FY 2015 6 0% 43% FY 2014 0 -100% 0% FY 2013 3 +50% 30% FY 2012 2 0% 50% FY 2011 0 -100% 0% FY 2010 5 +400% 63% FY 2009 1 0% 14% FY 2008 0 0% Analysis of results and challenges: The Council adopted nine revised certification standards during FY2021. The goal of reviewing and updating existing standards annually by 20% was met. Since FY2017, the Council has not met its overall goal to revise 100% of previously adopted standard within a five-year cycle. The Council facilitated the standards review process with additional administrative assignments for conducting reviews in support of cyclical revisions to national standards resulting in multiple updates during some years and none in others. Administrative staff was actively involved in the national accreditation process to ensure the Council maintains compliance with current fire standards and nationally accredited certification programs. Standard revisions can contain multiple levels of certification. National standards are revised on a three-to-five year schedule with varying annual dates for each standard. Target datum indicates that previous measurement adjustments to 20% annually may reduce the annual spectrum of variance and better align to the national standards revision cycle. However, multiple standards in the national standards revision process are within the same annual cycle, resulting in variances that limited the Council's ability to process specific target percentages within FY2021.

Current as of December 1, 2021