Firefighter Certification

Programs such as State Aid, Grants and Incentive & Pension are dependent on departments having members certified to the appropriate level. The Fire Commission has implemented two levels of certification in Kentucky:

• Basic 1 (115 hours) - volunteer firefighters
• Basic 2 (300 hours) - paid firefighters

Volunteer firefighters must obtain Basic 1 certification within two years of their start date; paid firefighters have one year from their start date to obtain Basic 2 certification. Note that Basic 2 certification requires full participation and completion of hands-on skills components for Firefighter Survival, Firefighter Rescue and Flashover Awareness.

Applying for Basic 1 or Basic 2 Certification

Fire departments must request firefighter certification via the Kentucky Fire Information and Records Entry System (KyFIRES).  Only authorized departmental users of KyFIRES (i.e., those who have the ability to enter training hours and add/remove personnel) are permitted to create and submit applications for Basic 1 or Basic 2 certification.

Applications for Basic 1 or Basic 2 certification may be created by viewing the KyFIRES portal of the firefighter seeking certification, clicking on the "Request Certification" button on the Application section of their portal, and following the steps below:

1. Select certification level from the drop down menu
2. Leave the issue date as the current date
3. Select Continue
4. Verify Recipient information and select Continue
5. Review Guidelines for Issuance and select Continue
6. On the Affirmation page, select Finish Later
   • If Submit is selected and applicant's recorded training hours do not fulfil certification level requirements, the application will be auto-rejected and a new application must be created
7. Once the application has been created, a progress bar will appear under the Application section of the applicant's KyFIRES portal

After the applicant has fulfiled all requirements for the certification level, the application may be fully submitted by the fire department. The application will then be reviewed for compliance and subsequent certifications will be issued in the applicant's KyFIRES portal for download or printing.

Questions regarding the Firefighter Certification Program should be directed via email to fc.operations@kctcs.edu or via telephone at (859) 256-3180.