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NFPA 1020 FI I competencies — Instructor Professionalism, Principles of Learning, Instructional Planning, Materials & Equipment, Learning Environments, Classroom Instruction, Student Interaction, Skills-Based Training, Evaluation & Testing
| Chapter | Approx. Weight | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 6 — Classroom Instruction | ~16% | Four-Step Method, delivery, questioning |
| 8 — Skills-Based Training | ~13% | Liability, ratios, live-fire, LODD lessons |
| 4 — Instructional Materials & Equipment | ~12% | Lesson plans, Mager Model, copyright |
| 9 — Evaluation & Testing | ~12% | Test security, assessment types, scoring |
| 5 — Learning Environments | ~11% | Classroom, virtual, training ground |
| 2 — Principles of Learning | ~10% | Andragogy, Bloom's, Thorndike, 55/38/7 |
| 7 — Student Interaction | ~10% | Rights, accommodations, conflict mgmt |
| 1 — Instructor as a Professional | ~8% | Obligations, laws, motivation theory |
| 3 — Instructional Planning | ~8% | 3 pillars, continuity, contingency |
⚠️ No official published weighting exists for NFPA 1020 — these are study-priority estimates. Chapters 6, 8, 4, and 9 together make up over half the exam.
Provide quality training • Support the organization's mission • Meet applicable laws/standards • Serve as a role model • Mentor other instructors • Link theory to practice.
Education = cognitive (what you know). Training = psychomotor/vocational skill (what you can do). Instructors own both.
| Law | Covers |
|---|---|
| ADA / ADAAA | Reasonable accommodations for disabilities |
| Title VII | No discrimination; prohibits sexual harassment |
| FERPA | Privacy of student education records (U.S.) |
| Privacy Act | Federal records — written consent to share |
| HIPAA | Privacy of medical records used in training |
| Canadian Human Rights Act | Canadian equivalent of Title VII |
NFPA 1001 Firefighter • NFPA 1020 Instructor (this course) • NFPA 1021 Fire Officer • NFPA 1500 Occupational Health & Safety • NFPA 1403 Live Fire Training.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: FERPA = education records. HIPAA = medical records. This exact swap is the single most common mistake on this exam. Also: NFPA 1001 = Firefighter, 1021 = Fire Officer, 1020 = Instructor — don't confuse the standards.
Supporting student autonomy improves intrinsic motivation. Rewards made contingent on performance UNDERMINE intrinsic motivation — dangling a reward for a score can make students care less about the material itself.
Subject matter competence, leadership (never ask a student to do what you won't), interpersonal skill, motivation skill, flexibility, empathy, fairness/equity, ethics & integrity.
| Consideration | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Laws & Regulations | NFPA, OSHA, DOT, state/provincial rules |
| Organization Policies | Management directives, chain of command |
| Time Constraints | Scheduling, outside influences on class time |
| Student Diversity | Treat all students fairly; meet special needs |
| Budget Limitations | Best training possible within constraints |
| Documentation | Maintain accurate, defensible training records |
Challenges: organizational apathy (counter it by championing the program), limited resources, copyright issues, legal exposure from negligence/discrimination claims.
Adults are: self-directed, experience-rich, ready-to-learn (real-life tie-in), problem-oriented, intrinsically motivated.
| Law | Application |
|---|---|
| Readiness | Don't train exhausted/distracted students |
| Exercise | Repeat to retain |
| Effect | Reward effort/success |
| Primacy | Teach correct technique FIRST — can't "fix it later" |
| Intensity | Vivid, real experiences teach better |
| Recency | Review key points at session end |
| Association | Link new info to prior experience |
Cognitive (WHAT — knowledge) • Psychomotor (HOW — physical skill) • Affective (WHY — attitudes/values). The instructor's attitude IS the curriculum for the affective domain.
Sender (instructor) → Message → Channel → Receiver (student) → Feedback, with interference (noise, distractions, emotional state) able to distort any link.
Retention increases moving from abstract/passive → concrete/active: reading → hearing words → pictures → video/demo → site visit → live demo → dramatization → doing the real thing (best retained).
Attending → Understanding → Evaluating → Responding → Remembering.
Obstacles: physical/environmental, emotional/psychological, social, instructional. A plateau is a normal, temporary leveling-off — not failure; fix is continued practice or a method review, never lowered standards.
⚠️ EXAM TRAPS: Andragogy = adults specifically, not general learning theory. Eye contact/personal space are culture-dependent, not universal. A learning plateau is normal — never lower the standard; fix is continued practice or a method change.
Learner (appropriate for their level) • Available equipment (matches the job) • Lesson content (reinforces the objective). Training aids must match field/testing equipment to preserve validity.
Content stays consistent regardless of who teaches it — across Safety, Procedures, Accuracy, Conduct. Instructors must model the same PPE they require of students. Applies EVEN across substitute instructors — brief them fully before a handoff.
| Mode | Definition |
|---|---|
| Synchronous | Same time (in-person OR live virtual) |
| Asynchronous | Self-paced, independent (recorded/LMS) |
Review the lesson plan → practice with training aids → arrange additional equipment → coordinate assistant instructors → preview AV → prepare handouts/rosters → set up/verify the training area → confirm environmental/safety conditions.
Backup plans for equipment failure, weather, instructor absence, technology failure, or students at unexpected knowledge levels — always have a backup lesson requiring no unavailable equipment.
Remedial: more review time, non-stigmatizing environment. Advanced: enrichment, test-question creation, peer teaching — they remain YOUR responsibility, never sidelined.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: Synchronous ≠ in-person. A live Zoom class is synchronous but virtual; a recorded LMS module is asynchronous even if delivered online.
Components: Title, Prerequisites, Time, Supplemental Resources, Learning Objectives, Behavioral Objectives, Lesson Outline, Summary, Materials List, Preparation/Assignment, Evaluation.
Purpose (commercial vs. educational) • Nature of the work • Amount used • Market impact. Easily accessible online material is NOT automatically free to use.
| Type | Examples / Notes |
|---|---|
| Nonprojected | Marker boards, easel pads, charts, handouts — no tech-failure risk; use dark markers |
| Projected | Slides, Smart Boards, visual presenters, video — supplements, never replaces instruction |
| Models | Cutaways, miniatures, replica/scale models |
| Simulators | Moulage, computer sims, VR, manikins — used when real training is dangerous/impractical/costly |
People control use of images of themselves/property — get a written model release before using photos/video of individuals. For incident photos: blurring faces, shadowing, and distorted audio are acceptable protections; always credit source/date and document permissions.
NFA (National Fire Academy), NFFF (16 Life Safety Initiatives / "Everyone Goes Home"), NIOSH (fatality/accident reports), NIST (fire behavior research), Near-Miss Reporting System.
⚠️ EXAM TRAPS: Keystoning (trapezoidal image) is a projector/screen alignment issue, not resolution — fixed by the keystone eliminator. An incomplete objective ("the student will tie a bowline") is missing Condition + Standard. Reading slides verbatim is the most-cited bad-instructor behavior.
Rest breaks every 45-50 minutes (never optional). Control acoustics, lighting, temperature, seating, outlets/electrical safety, accessibility.
| Arrangement | Best For |
|---|---|
| Auditorium/Theater | Large audiences, lecture; limits interaction |
| Herringbone/Chevron | Medium-large groups; some interaction |
| Horseshoe/U-Shape | Full-group discussion; instructor access to all |
| Circular/Cluster | Small-group discussion |
| Conference/Table | Total group discussion, small classes |
Advantages: reach, cost, recorded review. Disadvantages: psychomotor skills still need in-person training; screen fatigue is real — mitigate with shorter sessions, breaks, varied delivery. Default: mute all mics except active speaker. Test banks must NEVER be accessible to students.
Permanent facilities, remote sites, acquired structures — all governed by NFPA 1400/1403/1500/1550, OSHA, local codes. Remote sites: get owner permission + verify liability coverage BEFORE anything else, then inspect for hazards, document the site, and develop an IAP/safety plan. Weather/union heat-cold limits are legally binding — never override with judgment.
Electrical safety: know outlet/breaker locations; tape extension cords to the floor; never overload an outlet or power strip.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: Don't swap the 90 dB (US)/85 dB (Canada) numbers — a favorite wrong-answer trick. Distance learning can't fully replace hands-on psychomotor training.
Known-to-unknown, simple-to-complex, whole-part-whole, step-by-step, progressive. Avoid "finally"/"in conclusion" mid-lecture — students mentally check out.
| Delivery Method | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Instructor-Led (ILT) | Most common; economical; engagement via stories/analogies |
| Skills Demonstration | Whole-Part-Whole sequence |
| Competency-Based | Criterion-referenced; typically 70-100% threshold |
| Flipped Classroom | Students review content BEFORE class; class = application |
| Team Teaching | Requires a written role plan; coordinated standards |
⚠️ Positive reinforcement produces FASTER, MORE PERMANENT learning than corrective/negative feedback — one of the most frequently tested facts in the course.
Rhetorical, Direct, Open/Overhead, Relay/Redirect, Probing. One question at a time; wait for a response — don't rush to fill silence; never let a wrong answer stand as correct.
Guided (instructor active) vs. Open (student-controlled); brainstorming (generate first, evaluate later); nominal group technique; role-play always ends with a debrief/de-role.
Filler words, playing with pens/pointers, purposeless pacing, reading slides verbatim, facing the board while talking, monotone delivery.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: Order is Preparation → Presentation → Application → Evaluation — never reordered. Competency-based = criterion-referenced (vs. peers), not norm-referenced.
Freedom of thought • Safe environment • Non-discrimination • Freedom from harassment.
ADA/ADAAA: meet privately, maintain confidentiality, work with the accessibility office. An IEP informs prior needs — it does NOT guarantee identical accommodations in a training setting. Workforce Investment Act benchmark: 8th-grade reading level.
Communication disorders • Academic (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) • Motor learning (dyspraxia, sequencing). Instructors are NOT qualified to diagnose — encourage, support, refer.
Boredom often shows as disruptive behavior — YOUR responsibility to address via enrichment, peer teaching, test-question creation. Peer mentoring benefits both parties: it consolidates the mentor's knowledge and gives the mentee accessible explanation.
EEOC has authority over employment and certification test discrimination claims in the U.S.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: Never skip steps in the behavior escalation — jumping straight to formal discipline for a first minor issue is wrong. Informal counseling is always private; documentation must be factual/specific, never character judgments.
| Agency | Role |
|---|---|
| OSHA (U.S.) | Workplace safety standards; citations/penalties |
| NIOSH | Investigates safety; produces LODD reports |
| NIST | Standardization; fire science research |
| FEMA/USFA | Leadership support; training via NFA/EMI |
| CCOHS | Canadian equivalent of NIOSH |
Standards bodies: NFPA, ANSI, UL/ULC. Accreditation: IFSAC and Pro Board.
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Negligence | Failure to act with reasonable care; harm resulted |
| Foreseeability | A reasonable person should have predicted the danger |
| Respondeat Superior | Employer may be liable for instructor's acts |
| Vicarious Liability | Blame for one person's actions placed on another |
F2002-38: NEVER a live victim role-player inside a structure during a live burn. F2017-15: Always assign a dedicated safety officer — independent of the lead instructor. F2019-08/15: health/wellness programs; cardiovascular warning signs.
Small-group (1-5 students): one or two instructors monitor; students rotate through. Large-group: more complexity, multiple instructor roles, apply NIMS-ICS. Stop immediately for safety violations, correct, then resume.
Fatigue affects all three learning domains. Signs: dizziness, slowed reflexes, blurry vision, decreased vigilance. Rehab must be near but NOT in the training area (NFPA 1580); check participants in and out.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: The safety officer role must never double as the lead instructor. Schedule pressure never overrides a foreseeable hazard — stop immediately if safety is compromised.
Never allow student access to the test bank. Secure storage before AND after testing. Number/track all test sheets. FERPA governs confidentiality of results.
| Type | Compared Against | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Norm-Referenced | Other students (bell curve) | Promotional testing, rankings |
| Criterion-Referenced | Pre-set standard | Fire/EMS certification (default) |
Prescriptive/Diagnostic (start — baseline) → Formative (during — progress) → Summative (end — final determination). Formats: written, oral, performance.
Before: communicate format/content/time; prepare the environment; know ADA accommodations. During: remove unnecessary materials; monitor actively; record scores as observed. After: collect/verify all materials; secure storage; score per AHJ policy.
Any test element giving unfair advantage/disadvantage to a group — watch for one-sided pronouns/names, irrelevant cultural references, regional knowledge, unfamiliar vocabulary. Flag and request rewrites.
Scoring = right/wrong (objective). Grading = value/letter assigned from the score. Score the same question across all tests before moving on. Record performance scores in real time, never from memory.
Give individual feedback on what was correct AND missed, without shame. Meet privately with struggling students; connect gaps to remedial instruction. Class-wide results should inform curriculum, not just individual grades.
⚠️ EXAM TRAP: A failed critical step = automatic overall failure regardless of otherwise-perfect performance. If most of the class misses the same question, that's an instruction gap — remediate, don't curve or discard the item.
© The Firefighter Medic