Fire Instructor III study plan
Fire Instructor III · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Instructional Program Management and Administration
Map the full instructional program lifecycle (needs assessment through evaluation) and write a one-page process flow showing where each of the other seven domains plugs in
Draft a program-level mission statement and three measurable program goals for a hypothetical department training program
Identify the policy documents a training division must maintain (SOPs, course catalogs, instructor qualifications) and list the owner and review cycle for each
Compare centralized versus decentralized training delivery models and record three trade-offs of each for a 120-person department
Your checkpoint
A 2-page program administration charter covering mission, three measurable goals, the process flow, and a document-control register listing at least 8 policy documents with owners and review intervals
Instructional Program Management and Administration & Training Records, Documentation, and Reporting
Build a training records retention matrix that assigns a retention period and legal or policy basis to each record type (attendance, certification, skills sheets, instructor credentials, accident reports)
Draft a records audit checklist an instructor can complete in 15 minutes per course file
Write the administrative sections of a course approval package: justification, target audience, prerequisites, and instructor qualification requirements
Explain in writing how program administration decisions feed budget requests and how records support those requests
Your checkpoint
A records retention matrix plus a completed sample course approval package, both reviewed against your own audit checklist
Curriculum Development and Course Design
Write four terminal performance objectives in ABCD format (audience, behavior, condition, degree) for a single fireground skill topic
Sequence a 16-hour course into modules with allotted minutes, matching each module to a terminal objective and a psychomotor, cognitive, or affective domain level
Select and justify instructional methods (demonstration, scenario, tabletop, hands-on rotation) for each module with a one-sentence rationale per choice
Design a lesson plan template that enforces objectives, method, materials, time, evaluation, and safety notes on every page
Your checkpoint
A complete 16-hour course design package: four ABCD objectives, a module time-sequenced outline, method justifications, and your reusable lesson plan template
Curriculum Development and Course Design & Training Needs Analysis and Program Evaluation
Construct a written and a practical test item for each terminal objective and verify each item maps back to an objective (build a simple test blueprint table)
Draft a 10-question learner feedback instrument and a 5-question instructor self-evaluation form for the course designed in week 3
Conduct a task-level needs analysis for one job (e.g., company officer) by listing duties, tasks, and the knowledge or skill each requires
Identify three data sources for a needs analysis and state what each source can and cannot tell you
Your checkpoint
A test blueprint mapping every objective to at least one written and one practical item, plus a completed task-level needs analysis worksheet for one job
Training Needs Analysis and Program Evaluation
Design a four-level program evaluation plan (reaction, learning, behavior, results) and specify one instrument and one metric per level
Write three Kirkpatrick Level 3 or 4 outcome indicators that could realistically be tracked by a fire department and state the data owner for each
Draft a one-page after-action review process for training evolutions that captures what happened, why, and what changes
Analyze a hypothetical set of course evaluation results and write three prioritized improvement recommendations
Your checkpoint
A four-level evaluation plan with instruments, metrics, data owners, and a written analysis memo recommending three prioritized course improvements
Instructor Supervision, Coaching, and Evaluation & Standards, Regulations, and Safety Compliance in Training
Build an instructor observation rubric covering preparation, delivery, safety management, and learner engagement, with at least three observable descriptors per criterion
Script a 15-minute coaching conversation using a feedback model, including a practice scenario where an instructor repeatedly skips a safety brief
List the standards and regulations that govern training delivery in your jurisdiction and note the specific requirement each imposes on instructors
Draft a training safety plan section covering hazard identification, emergency procedures, PPE requirements, and documentation of near misses
Your checkpoint
An instructor observation rubric, a written coaching conversation script, and a training safety plan section, each cross-referenced to at least one cited standard or policy requirement
Budgeting, Resources, and Training Facility Management
Build a line-item training budget for one fiscal year covering instructor pay, consumables, props, facility maintenance, and travel
Calculate cost per student contact hour for two delivery options and recommend one with a written justification
Inventory training facility and apparatus needs and rank them by risk, cost, and frequency of use
Identify two funding sources beyond the general fund and outline the eligibility criteria and application steps for each
Your checkpoint
A one-year line-item training budget with cost-per-student-hour analysis for two options, a ranked facility and equipment needs list, and a short funding source summary
Professional Development and Leadership in the Training Function & Instructional Program Management and Administration & Training Needs Analysis and Program Evaluation
Write a 12-month professional development plan for a training officer covering credentials, instruction hours, and leadership development
Assemble a one-page capstone summary linking each of the eight domains to a specific artifact you produced during the plan
Complete a timed 60-question self-assessment across all domains and score it by domain to identify the two weakest areas
Schedule two follow-up review blocks for the weakest domains and write the specific review actions for each
Your checkpoint
A capstone portfolio index mapping all eight domains to your artifacts, plus a scored self-assessment with a written remediation plan for the two weakest domains
Milestones
Week 2: You can explain, without notes, how a program goal becomes a course objective and how the resulting records support a budget request; your document-control register lists at least 8 documents with named owners
Week 4: Every terminal objective has at least one written and one practical test item, and you can state the domain level (cognitive, psychomotor, affective) each item measures
Week 6: You can deliver a 15-minute coaching conversation using your rubric and script with a peer or recorded self-review, and your safety plan cites at least three specific standards or policies
Week 8: All eight domains map to at least one artifact, your timed self-assessment is scored by domain, and a written remediation plan names the two weakest domains with dated review actions