Policies
The following are policies for all classes administered by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) or the Illinois Fire Chiefs Education and Research Foundation (IFCERF). Please note that some programs have class specific requirements.
Overview
Both the IFCA and IFCERF 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 most diverse 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. All participants are expected to complete all work as outlined in course syllabi, objectives and plans of instruction. All participants should confirm their attendance prior to the first day of class. Those who arrive at class without confirming their acceptance may be allowed to attend the program at the discretion of the program manager, but only if space is available and no students remain on a waiting list.
Prerequisites
Participants are responsible for ensuring they personally meet the prerequisites for all courses prior to registration. Prerequisites are listed on the course description (if applicable). Some courses may require that participants provide documentation confirming that participant has previously completed specific courses, or levels of certification, prior to acceptance into the class.
Class or Program Invoice
All participants who register for a class or event (with the exception of the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Program) will receive an email invoice upon completing registration. This is the only invoice provided. The participant is responsible for assuring this invoice is paid in full, 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/IFCERF will accept a completed purchase order. A copy of the purchase order must be sent to info@illinoisfirechiefs.org no less than two (2) 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/or 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.
Use of Credit Cards
Tuition payments by credit card are encouraged. The IFCA/IFCERF do not currently assess a fee to the participant for using a credit card payment. To pay by credit card, the automatically generated email with the link must be used.
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 three (3) 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.
Participants 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 $50 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
Participants 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. Participants should be aware that their fire department has access to the course roster through the OSFM portal, including hours attended. The IFCA /IFCERF is not able to release student attendance, grade reports, scores, or other evaluations to anyone other than the student.
End of Course Certificates
End of course certificates issued by the IFCA/IFCERF will be issued by email to the email address provided by the student within two weeks 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 (OSFM), approves many of the courses that are scheduled and sponsored by IFCA and IFCERF for certification and reimbursement. The applicable OSFM levels of certification are identified in each course description. If certification credit is required, the participant is responsible to ensure enrollment in those courses that are clearly identified as offering those credits. Participants should also be aware of any co-requisite or additional courses required for OSFM certification. Within two weeks of successful completion of the class, participants 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/IFCERF 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 grant parameters. Any student who registers for a grant funded class and does not attend the class must notify the IFCA/IFCERF at least seven (7) days in advance of the start of the class. Cancellations between seven (7) and three (3) days before the first day of a course will be subject to a fee equal to 75% of the standard class cost. Cancellations on or after the start date will be invoice at the full standard class fee. Petitions to waive the cancellation fee should be directed to the Executive Director.
IFCERF Scholarship
Recipients of a scholarship from the IFCERF 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.
Learning Environment and ADA Compliance
It is the policy of the IFCA/IFCERF 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 class or event. Participants will be notified in writing of the final determinations regarding requested accommodations. Arrangements may be available for participants who submit their request after the two (2) week deadline.
In order to receive an accommodation, a participant 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.
Participants 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 IFCERF regarding appropriate accommodations, and advocacy within the IFCA and IFCERF.
Participants 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 IFCERF classes or events, and advocate for their individual needs.
Chief Fire Officer Program Payments
The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) program will be invoiced after the orientation class, prior to the commencement of the Phase One learning. For this program, the IFCERF 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 IFCERF has agreed to consider payment plans for these participants 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
Thanks to the generosity of the Rice Foundation, scholarship funding is available to the IFCERF Chief Fire Officer students who are self-funding or receiving only partial financial assistance from their fire department or district for tuition due to financial constraints or policy.
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. Note that the CFO program is not eligible for other IFCERF scholarships or grants.
Chief Fire Officer Certification Exam and ADA Compliance
As the CFO program is a partnership between the IFCERF and the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI), the class exam is administered by and subject to the rules of the University of Illinois and the Illinois Fire Service Institute. Where there is conflict between the IFSI and IFCERF policy, the IFSI policy (found here) shall apply for the examination. Any request for accommodation must be submitted both to IFSI and IFCERF CFO Program Coordinators not less than 45 days prior to the final exam in order to allow for time to review the request and provide a response.
For Additional Information
Participants are required to indicate they will comply with these policies at time of registration. Questions regarding these policies or requests to waive parts of these should be directed toward the specific Program Manager or the Executive Director. To contact the Program Manager or Executive Director, email info@illinoisfirechiefs.org or call the IFCA/IFCERF office at 847-966-0732.