OFPC Issues New FF 1/2 and SSO Curriculums

[Guest alsfirefighter]

In a much anticipated change, NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control has been coordinating the issue of a new curriculum package to State Fire Instructors, County Fire Coordinators and Municipal Training Officers throughout NYS, most recently for the above mentioned this past week in Westchester. The new curriculum published by Thomson-Delmar learning is a far better curriculum package then that priorly used and in conjunction with some minor changes to the Firefighter 1 and 2 curriculums will offer students an enhanced learning experience to better prepare them for the field.

What does this mean?

For upcoming Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2 and Scene Support Operation courses the IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting manuals will be obsolete. Students will need to have the new manual used. Students and departments can order the manuals from either the Fire Academy Bookstore:

http://www.fireacademyfsa.com/

or

through the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs:

http://www.nysfirechiefs.com/

The list price of these manuals elsewhere is $77.95 and the above locations offer them at $54.56. I know the academy bookstore which is run by the faculty-student association offers free shipping. The NYSAFC from what I have read I believe charges $10 S&H. The ISBN is 1418073369. Any student or department ordering manuals must ensure that it is the Firefighter's Handbook, 2nd edition, NY edition. There is a picture of the manual cover on the NYSAFC website. It has a distinctive blue color and says New York Edition on the cover.

This is a great step forward by NYS OFPC to enhance the training of the state's firefighters, with a very well coordinated and well writting curriculum and student manual.

[Guest]

Is it coordination of another lowest bidder deal? When I was up there for FSI 2 this was the talk.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I do not believe so and considering that IFSTA's Essentials of Firefighting Manual ran around $40 and the Delmar book runs at list price $77 ($54 through the FSA bookstore) I doubt this was lowest bidder activity. There were very specific specifications and from what was explained to the instructor level was Delmar was the only one that could meet what the state's specs were.

I can honestly say even if it was lowest bidder, I wouldn't care. The curriculum package is much better then IFSTA's and this is obvious for the instructor guides and the actual powerpoints. No more cartoons with 1/4 of the information needed, the student manuals you cannot even compare. The only other curriculum out there beside the Delmar and IFSTA is the Jones and Bartlett in conjuction with the IAFC which many of us liked also. Apparantly they couldn't meet the specs for whatever reason...both factual and rumor. Not to mention that both Delmar and the IAFC conduct far more edition updates than IFSTA could ever dream of. Keeping the manuals more up to date then IFSTA which is often years behind in material and info.

Roof, I'm not sure whom this talk started with, but either they haven't seen the new materials and if they got them perhaps they didn't look them over very well. If this is lowest bidder...bravo to the state for getting such good material and saving taxpayer dollars to boot.

[bil14ga 1]

From what I have seen the new material will be much better. Currently there are a number of states that use the Delmar material. As for low bid, Delmar is a very good publisher and put out a nice product. The one thing that you will notice is that this book is specific to New York State. I do not know how others feel but I thought the current text was poor at best.

[ex-commish 490]

IMHO the Delmar book is a better tool.

[ryefd192 2]

Is this in effect immediately? Im takin FF2 at the end of May, so I was wondering....

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Bil...when you say current text I'm assuming that you're referring to the IFSTA manual. Everyone was in agreement that cartoons and the same pics in version 4 that were from version 2 shows that effectiveness and dedication to the review and quality. The Delmar and Jones and Bartlett texts put IFSTA to shame. I can only hope that they will continue their venture and start publishing specific manuals like pump operator, aerial and others like IFSTA where some are still 1st edition put out with material in the mid to early 90's.

rye192...You should be using the new curriculum by state guideline. However, your best bet is to contact the DES training office and have them confirm what the instructor intends to do.

[johnvv 20]

Dear Rye192,

Your FF II class in May at WCFTC will be using the new Delmar program. See you then.

Sincerely,

Your Instructor

[jd783 64]

To the instructors on board What in your opinons does delmar expand on over ifsta and NYS essentials I have ordered the delmar book and plan on reading it over the next few months, is nys still giving out their workbooks during probie class or is it all going to delmar, this info will help guys taking promotional exams given by NYS

[Guest alsfirefighter]

JD:

I'm not sure what workbooks you're referring to for the probie classes. NY has not conducted essentials since approximately 2000. That is when they switched to the "FF 2000" curriculum's which were Basic, Intermediate and Advanced, which used the IFSTA 'Essentials' manual and curriculum. From there we finally got Firefighter 1 and 2 which started if I remember correctlly around 2004. Again at that point using the IFSTA manual and curriculum. The state switched to Delmar and was looking for a better delivery and student system. IFSTA had every opportunity as the others to meet what NYS specs for the bid for the educational material. The probie classes utilized the IFSTA manual for FF 1/2 and now will use the Delmar. The only workbooks that get handed out are the more specialized areas of the classes, pump ops, EVOC, survival, FAST, RTB, hazmat, etc. All else will be the Delmar.

The Delmar manuals expand on IFSTA being they are more up to date with more updates to editions, the reading material is written (to me and I would have to get confirmation to this) at a higher level then IFSTA and more in-depth and technical. There are no cartoons and such and is in much more detail.

If I haven't answered what you're looking for or have more questions, I've PM'd you with my email brother.

[firecapt32 282]

I believe that the current probie class is useing IFSTA We as State Instructors were informed that as of 4/13/07 IFSTA will no longer be used, any State course must switch over to Delmar.

All State Instructors have the updated material and some books. The flow of the new material is so much better. IFSTA was out dated -Delmar is all new with current information, we will all be with the new pregram, County instructors will be making the switch as soon as possible, but if you have the new Delmar books use them. just make the adjustments in the reading.

Edited April 7, 2007 by firecapt32