Policies
The following are policies for all classes administered by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Foundation (IFCA) or the Illinois Fire Chiefs Education and Research Foundation (ERF). Please note that some programs have class specific requirements.
Overview
Both the IFCA and ERF are committed to serving the Illinois Fire Service and providing the best classes, programs and events that encourage the leaders and future fire service leaders to serve their communities. Both organizations are dedicated to assuring these programs are widely available and that all reasonable steps are taken to offer these programs to the widest audience possible.
Participant Responsibilities
Participants are responsible for ensuring a safe training and learning environment for themselves and their fellow Participants. Participants are required to maintain a professional learning environment and respect the training facilities.
Pre-Requisites
Participants are responsible for ensuring that they individually meet the pre-requisites for all courses prior to registration. Pre-requisites are listed on the course description (if applicable). Some courses may require that students provide documentation showing that they have previously completed specific courses, or levels of certification, prior to acceptance into the class.
Class or Program Invoice
All students who register for a class or event (with the exception of the CFO Program) will receive an email invoice upon completing registration. This is the only invoice provided. The student is responsible for assuring this invoice is paid, including providing the invoice to their Fire Department or District if applicable.
Invoice Payment
Tuition payments are due in full seven days prior to the first day of the program. It is recognized that some municipal government departments require their members to pay their own tuition and then receive internal reimbursement upon successful program completion. In this case, participants are required to pay their tuition in full prior to the first day of class.
If a Fire Department or District will be responsible for payment, the IFCA/ERF will accept a completed purchase order. A copy of the purchase order must be sent to info@illinoisfirechiefs.org no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the start of class. Full payment must be received no more than fourteen (14) days after the class completion.
Failure to meet the payment requirements may result in the student being removed from the class and the student not being placed on the class roster until payment is received. Additionally, after ninety (90) days, a 3% late fee will be charged monthly.
Any student who is a member of a Fire Department or District that has any outstanding balance for any IFCA or ERF class, program, or event will not be admitted into the class until the balance of all funds owed to the IFCA or ERF have been received. Unless other arrangements have been made in writing with the Executive Director.
Use of Credit Cards
Tuition payments by credit card are encouraged. The IFCA and ERF do not currently assess a fee to the participant for using a credit card payment.
Cancellations and Refunds
Registrations may be cancelled up to seven (7) days prior to the first day of a course without financial penalty. Participants requesting registration cancellation must submit their request in writing to info@illinoisfirechiefs.org. No verbal requests for cancellations will be accepted.
Full refunds will be issued for cancellation requests received prior to seven (7) days before the first day of a course. A seventy-five percent (75%) refund will be issued for cancellations received between seven (7) and one (1) days before the first day of a course. Cancellations on or after the start date will not receive a refund. Petitions to waive the cancellation fee should be directed to the Executive Director.
Students who cancel their enrollment due to illness will be required to submit their cancellation request in writing along with a written statement from their Fire Chief. Such communication must be submitted directly to info@illinoisfirechiefs.org in order for a cancellation without financial penalty to be considered. A $20 processing fee will be applied.
Participants who do not cancel their registration and do not attend a course will be held responsible for the full cost of the tuition. Special situations will be considered by the Executive Director.
Attendance Policy
Students are required to attend or make up all class sessions of the course in order to be awarded a course completion or attendance certificate, or to sit for an end-of-course examination.
End of Course Certificates
End of course certificates issued by the IFCA/ERF will be issued by email to the email address provided by the student within 96 hours of the successful completion of a class. If the class has not been paid in full for any reason, the certificate will be withheld until full payment is received.
OSFM Certification
The Division of Personnel Standards and Education, Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, approves many of the courses that are scheduled and sponsored by IFCA and ERF for certification and reimbursement. The applicable OSFM levels of certification are identified in each course description. If certification credit is required, be sure that you enroll in those programs that are clearly identified as offering those credits. Within 96 hours of successful completion of the class, students will be placed on a course completion roster with OSFM. If the class has not been paid in full for any reason, the student will not be placed on the OSFM roster until full payment is received.
Grant Funded Classes
Certain IFCA/ERF classes may be provided under funding through various grants. These classes may be subject to specific enrollment requirements and student selection may be based on these restrictions. Students registering for any grant funded class and not attending the class are subject to the payment requirements listed above at the current cost of the class before the grant funds are applied.
ERF Scholarship
Recipients of a scholarship from the Illinois Fire Chiefs Educational and Research Foundation who wish to apply the scholarship to a class should follow the instructions in the scholarship package. Additionally, after registration, the student must email info@illinoisfirechiefs.org to assure the scholarship is applied. Any amounts due after the application of the scholarship are subject to the payment policies listed above.
Chief Fire Officer Program
The CFO program will be invoiced after the orientation class, prior to the class starting. For this program, the ERF will accept payment after the start of the class. Unless other arrangements are made in writing, all payments are due within 90 days of the issuance of the invoice.
Due to the cost of the Chief Fire Officer Program, the ERF has agreed to consider payment plans for these students who are required to self-pay for this class. Any payment plan must be initiated by the student and agreed to in writing by both the CFO Program Coordinator and the Executive Director. This is an exception to the payment policy listed above; however all other parts of the policy remain in effect.
Chief Fire Officer Scholarships
Due to the generosity of the Rice Foundation, scholarship funding is available to students who are paying for their Chief Fire Officer Program tuition without the assistance of their Fire Department or District. These scholarships must be applied for prior to the first day of class and invoicing for the program. If a scholarship is awarded, this amount will be applied to the invoice.
Learning Environment and ADA Compliance
It is the policy of the IFCA and ERF to provide a positive learning environment and comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any student wishing to request a reasonable accommodation must submit their request in writing along with supporting documentation to the Executive Director. Requests must be received at least two (2) weeks before the beginning of a program. Students will be notified in writing of the final determinations regarding requested accommodations. Arrangements may be available for students who submit their request after the two (2) week deadline.
In order to receive an accommodation, a student must have a documented disability that substantially limits one or more of their life activities. A reasonable accommodation is one that removes barriers to their access to examinations. An accommodation is a modification, adjustment or elimination of a barrier that enables an individual with a disability to academically participate on an equal basis. Examples include but are not limited to: extended time for test taking, verbal test questions, distraction reduced testing environment, large print exams and assistance with form completion.
Students with documented disabilities have the right to; equal opportunities to participate, work and learn, reasonable accommodations, appropriate confidentiality, information about available services and accommodations, information about decisions made by the IFCA or ERF regarding appropriate accommodations, and advocacy within the IFCA and ERF.
Students with disabilities have the responsibility to; identify themselves in order to receive accommodations, provide current and valid supporting documentation, request appropriate accommodations with ample notice, follow published procedures for obtaining accommodations and services, meet qualifications and standards set for IFCA or ERF programs, and advocate for their individual needs.