The Fire Service College (FSC) has become the first centre outside of North America to achieve Pro Board approval to deliver training in overseas territories to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards.

Under the rules for Pro Board Accreditation, centres are restricted to deliver training within the territory in which they operate. The approval from Pro Board allows the delivery of training outside of the United Kingdom, which is a significant development for the FSC.

In order to gain this approval, the FSC worked closely with the International Safety Training College (ISTC) Malta, where the College delivered a NFPA Pro Board certified course to Maltese learners, whilst being assessed and validated by a member of the Pro Board executive team.

This latest development supports the FSC’s vision of “becoming a true Centre of Excellence for both UK and international Fire and Rescue Services”. As the home of firefighter development, the FSC is a “unique resource in the UK and is one of the world’s premier fire training venues”, attracting customers from across the world to train in a world-class facility with internationally recognised credentials.

Frederick Piechota, Pro Board accreditation manager, commented: “As the result of the Site Visit conducted by a representative of the Pro Board to observe certification testing conducted by the FSC in Malta, the Pro Board has determined that the parameters for Out of Country Certification Testing, that were established by the Board of Directors of the Pro Board, have been met and that any certifications that were issued are valid and may be processed into the Pro Board’s International Certification Registry. Our thanks to the College for its support.”

Ted O’Brien, director of product and quality at FSC said: “This approval underlines our position as a leading provider of firefighter training both at home and abroad. It acknowledges that the FSC is working to the most widely recognised fire and prevention standards in the world – those of the North American Fire and Rescue Services. This new approval from Pro Board opens up new opportunities for the Fire Service College, allowing us to extend the delivery of recognised, accredited training to new and existing international customers.”