By FireRescue1 Staff
WELDON, Iowa — Fire chiefs expressed their concern after officials announced that over 1,700 state firefighters may have been given false certifications.
Iowa Fire Services Training Bureau certification manager John McPhee was arrested Tuesday for tampering with records and misconduct, reported the Sioux City Journal. Although the certifications are not required by state, they are required by some local fire departments and agencies; a majority of the state’s 15,000 volunteer firefighters train at the bureau.
Fire chiefs across the state are now posed with the dilemma of whether or not their firefighters passed the exam and obtained legitimate certifications.
“It’s unfortunate this is the work of an individual or a couple people in the bureau,” Le Mars Fire Chief David Schipper said. “It’s not that the firefighters showing up at your door aren’t trained or are not able to handle what the problems are.”
None of Chief Schipper’s firefighters who were certified by the bureau were affected. He said his department has its own in-house training to meet state requirements.
Sioux City Fire Chief Tom Everett said his department also has a similar program to ensure that all of its firefighters “exceed the standards for certification within the state.” He also said none of the department’s firefighters who took the certification testing were impacted.
“I think all of us want to do the job to the best of our ability,” Sergeant Bluff Fire Chief Anthony Gaul said. “The test is one thing, but it’s the ongoing practice, ongoing training that’s going to make us the best for our community.”