The Pro Board

The Pro Board® accredits agencies that use the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA's) professional qualification standards. The accreditation process begins with the submission of an application, including a detailed self assessment document, by the agency seeking accreditation. The application package is then reviewed by the members of the Committee on Accreditation (COA) for completeness and compliance with the accreditation criteria of the Pro Board®. The next step is a site visit by a team of COA members, usually two, who perform an extensive on-site review of the agency's testing and certification processes. The site visit team prepares a report and presents it to the COA. The COA decides if accreditation is granted. An agency that is accredited by the Pro Board® makes certification available to its members. Members are then eligible to be entered into the Pro Board's® certification registry and receive a certificate from the accredited agency, or apply for a certificate from the Pro Board®, affirming that they were certified by a Pro Board® accredited agency and that they are entered in the Pro Board's® certification registry. In addition, the Pro Board® encourages reciprocity among certifying agencies. This helps assure that Pro Board® certification will be recognized by the department as the members seek advancement, and by other departments should they seek to transfer within the fire service.