Certification FAQs - general

How do I get certified?

• I passed the commission's certification exam. Am I certified?
• I have an IFSAC certification from another jurisdiction. How do I get TCFP certification?
• Can I apply for more than one certificate at a time?

Paperwork...

• What kind of supporting documentation do I need to send with my application?
• Can I fax in my application and other paperwork?
• If the commission requires proof of medical training with my application, what should I send?
• If the commission requires a college transcript with my application, what should I send?
• If the commission requires certificates of completed training with my application, what should I send?

Fees and payments

• How much does each certificate cost?
• What kind of payment will the commission accept?
• Can I submit a single payment, even if I am applying for more than one certificate?

Processing

• How long will it take to process my application?

Problems

• What happens if my application is denied?
• When I do lookup my certifications online, it says "problem" next to one. What does this mean?
• I let my certification (or test) expire. How can I get re-certified?

How will I get my certificate?

• What will I receive if my application is approved?
• Where will you send my certificate?
• I don't have a FIDO account. How do I open one?

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How do I get certified?

• I passed the commission's certification exam. Am I certified?

  No. To become certified, you must send us:

  • Form TCFP-002, Application for Certification .
  • Any required supporting documentation.*
  • The certification fee.

  *An example of supporting documentation would be proof that you have completed the medical training for basic fire fighter certification. Some applications will not require any supporting documentation. Others may require several additional documents.

  If you have taken and passed a commission certification exam, you do not have to send documentation of the exam. That information is already in the commission's database.

• I have an IFSAC certification from another jurisdiction. How do I get TCFP certification?

  If you have an IFSAC certificate from somewhere besides Texas, you do not have to take the commission's certification exam. Send us:

  • A copy of the IFSAC certificate.
  • Form TCFP-002, Application for Certification
  • Any required supporting documentation.
  • The certification fee.

  Texas certifications may require more training or experience than IFSAC certifications. Be sure to read the Standards Manual to learn the requirements for the Texas certification.

• Can I apply for more than one certificate at a time?

  Yes. On Page 2 of Form TCFP-002, Application for Certification , you will find check boxes for all of the commission's certificates and certification levels. Check the boxes for all the certifications for which you are applying. Make sure that your payment covers the required fees for all certificates, and include all the required supporting documentation for each certificate.

  If you are also applying for IFSAC seals, there is a separate application (Form TCFP-051, Application for IFSAC Seals ) that you should complete and include with your submission.

  You can submit a single check or money order for all the certificates and seals for which you are applying.

Paperwork...

• What kind of supporting documentation do I need to send with my application?

  See the Certification Requirements page for more information on requirements for each type of application.

• Can I fax in my application and other paperwork?

  No. Send the application, supporting documents and fee as a package. There are several ways to submit the package:

  1. By US mail to the PO Box listed on the application.
  2. By delivery service (UPS, FedEx, etc.) to the physical address of the commission's Austin office:

     Texas Commission on Fire Protection
     1701 N. Congress Ave., Suite 1-105
     Austin, TX 78701

  3. In person at the commission headquarters office.
     

• If the commission requires proof of medical training with my application, what should I send?

  A copy of a certificate of completion of your medical training is adequate. The commission does not require you to be certified in a particular medical discipline before you apply for a fire certification; we only require that you complete the required medical training. Please refer to the commission's Standards Manual, §423.1 , for examples of acceptable medical training.

• If the commission requires a college transcript with my application, what should I send?

  A copy of an official transcript is adequate. An official transcript is typically stamped as "Official" or "Issued to Student," and will often be printed on paper with the school's watermark.

• If the commission requires certificates of completed training with my application, what should I send?

  Copies of certificates of completion are adequate. You keep the originals.

Fees and payments

• How much does each certificate cost?

  Certificates are $85 each.

• What kind of payment will the commission accept?

  The commission accepts payments by check (personal check is OK), money order or cash.

  Do not send cash in the mail.

  Write your check or money order to: Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

  You must include your payment with your application.

  The commission cannot take payments commission over the phone or online.

  You must pay your fees in US currency. If you are applying from outside of the US, make sure the issuing institution pre-prints the check or money order to state that it is to be paid in US dollars.

• Can I submit a single payment, even if I am applying for more than one certificate?

  Yes. Just be sure to include any required supporting documents with the payment and application.

Processing

• How long will it take to process my application?

  Typically an application for certification requires two to three weeks to process.

Problems

• What happens if my application is denied?

  The commission will send you a letter advising you that we have denied the application, with an explanation of the reason for the denial. Since fees are non-refundable, it is important that you make sure you are qualified for a certification before you submit an application.

• When I look up my certifications online, it says "problem" next to one. What does this mean?

  It means that you have applied for that certification, and the commission has placed the processing of the application on hold for one or more reasons. Feel free to call the commission to ask about the problem. You will get a letter or a phone call from a commission staff member to telling you what you need to do to complete the processing of your application.

• I let my certificate (or test) expire. How can I get re-certified?

  As of Sept. 1, 2009, whose certifications have expired for more than a year or whose test scores have expired must first complete the commission-designated skill evaluation process before being eligible to take the written portion of the state certification exam. In order to complete this process, you must have the required number of randomly selected commission-designated skills evaluated by a commission-approved field examiner. The commission will randomly select skills from the skills identified in the applicable curriculum as identified in the commission's Certification Curriculum Manual. (A commission-approved field examiner is an individual who holds instructor certification, is approved by the commission to evaluate the discipline being evaluated, and has taken the commission's field examiner course within the last two years.) The evaluations must take place at a training facility certified by the commission to conduct the certification training. You can locate a certified training facility in the applicable certification discipline by searching the commission's certified training facilities web page.

  Once you locate a field examiner who is willing to evaluate your skills at a certified training facility, please have the field examiner contact the commission in writing (i.e., e-mail). The field examiner will need to give the commission your name, his or her contact information and qualifications, the certified training facility he or she will be utilizing, and the discipline to be evaluated. The commission will send directly to the field examiner the randomly selected skills and a performance skill verification form (TCFP-047).

  Commission rule §439.11 (c) states, "In order to qualify for the Commission certification examination, the student must successfully complete and pass all designated skill evaluations. The student may be allowed two attempts to complete each skill. A second failure during the evaluation process will require remedial training in the failed skill area with a certified instructor before being allowed a third attempt. A third failure shall require that the student repeat the entire certification curriculum."

  Once you have passed the required skill evaluations and have obtained a signed skill verification form (TCFP-047) from the field examiner, please contact a training approval and testing staff member at (512) 936-3819 for the information needed to establish a state certification examination date. You may also call this number for any questions regarding the commission-designated skill evaluation process outlined above.

How will I get my certificate?

• What will I receive if my application is approved?

  The commission will issue you the certificate.

• Where will you send my certificate?

  When the commission issues your certificate, we will notify you via e-mail. The agency no longer mails certificates, so you do not have to wait for your certificate to arrive. Simply log into your FIDO account to access and view the certificate. You can then print the certificate on whatever type of paper you choose. You can also access and reprint your certificate at anytime. (Please be sure to provide up-to-date personal information on your application - it's important that we have your current e-mail address.)

• I don't have a FIDO account. How do I open one?

  The FIDO (Firefighters: Individuals and Departments Online) system is the online system for fire protection personnel throughout the state to manage both personal and departmental information.

  To request an account:

  • Go to the FIDO system login page.
  • Agree to the FIDO user agreement.
  • Click on the "FIDO Account Request" link and complete/submit the online form.
  • After you submit the form, the commission will e-mail your login credentials within a few days.

  The first time you log in, the system will require you to validate your personal information. You may change your password at that time. When you have validated your personal information, the system will direct you to your home page, where you can view certifications and test scores, print a certificate or new wallet card, and access other features of the system.