Fire and Rescue Programs - Surry Community College

10/23/2026

📢 TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

Surry Community College, the Surry County Fire Marshal, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are excited to announce an upcoming class: The Paper Trail. 📝🔥

A systematic paper trail relies on contemporaneous, objective, and verifiable records. This course is designed to help everyone from firefighters to fire investigators write solid, professional reports that will stand up in court.

Learn how to:
• Record facts immediately (who, what, when, where)
• Stick to observable behavior
• Tie issues to explicit policies or timelines
• Archive copies securely

🗓️ Date: November 6th
⏰ Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Surry County Emergency Services (EMS Classroom)
🏢 Address: 1218 State St, Mount Airy, NC 27030

Pre-Registration:

Date: November 6th Time: 0900 -1500 hours Location: Surry County Emergency Services, EMS Classroom Address: 1218 State St, Mount Airy, NC 27030

10/20/2026

MEMO

FROM: Kim Williams, Training Administrative Assistant
North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal

RE: ACTION REQUIRED: 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade – December 31 Deadline

North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is conducting the 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade across the state from October 1 through December 31, 2026. If you have already completed the 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade, no additional action is required for the Fall 2026 upgrade.

All individuals who currently hold a North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission Instructor Qualification are required to complete this upgrade, regardless of the certification program or programs they are qualified to teach. More than 140 in-person sessions are being offered statewide during the upgrade period. These sessions are being delivered directly by OSFM staff and provide important updates regarding certification requirements, policies, procedures, instructor responsibilities, and changes to the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification system.

Who Is Required to Attend?
All currently qualified instructors must complete one 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade session by December 31, 2026. Completion of one session will satisfy the Fall 2026 upgrade requirements for all applicable Instructor, Proctor, Driver/Operator (Aerials, Pumps, and Mobile Water Supply), and Fire Officer qualifications. There is no written test or practical skills evaluation associated with this upgrade.

Additional Instructor Upgrades – Spring 2027
Instructors currently qualified in Firefighter, Live Fire, Marine Firefighter, Airport Firefighter, Emergency Vehicle Driver (EVD), or Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) will also be required to complete additional program-specific upgrades planned for Spring 2027. These additional upgrades do not replace the Fall 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade requirement. Instructors qualified in these programs must still complete the Fall 2026 upgrade by December 31, 2026. Additional information regarding the Spring 2027 upgrades will be provided as it becomes available.

Failure to Complete the Required Upgrade
Failure to complete a required Qualified Instructor Upgrade within this timeframe will affect an instructor's ability to requalify in the future. Instructors who become ineligible to requalify through the upgrade process will be required to meet the current prerequisites and complete the Instructor Qualification Testing requirements to become qualified again.

Registration and Additional Information
For complete information about the 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade, including registration instructions, available dates and locations, and frequently asked questions, please visit https://ncosfm.gov/InstructorUpgrades. Course schedules and availability are subject to change. For the most current dates, times, locations, and available seats, please refer to Fire and Rescue Training Registration in OSFM 24.

If you have not already registered for or completed the 2026 Qualified Instructor Upgrade, please make arrangements to attend an available session before the December 31 deadline.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification system and the training of our state's fire and rescue personnel.

North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal
Fire & Rescue Division

Office of State Fire Marshal
1202 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1202

tel: 919-647-0000
fax: 919-715-0063

https://ncosfm.gov

Home Page North Carolina Emergency Training Center Learn More 2026 Volunteer Rescue Grant The 2026 Rescue Grant is now open! Learn More Fire Marshal 101 Upcoming Classes in Rocky Mount, Murphy, Pinehurst, Smithfield, Winterville, and more! Learn More OSFM 24 Resources for Students, Instructors, Chie...

10/15/2026

🚨 TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT: Below Grade Rescue Class 🚨

Are you ready to elevate your technical rescue skills? This intensive course trains emergency responders to safely and efficiently extract victims from subsurface spaces.

What the class covers:
• 📐 Rigging & Mechanical Advantage
• 🧺 Basket Lashing
• 🪜 Ladders & Ladder Lashing
• 🪢 Hands-on Scenario-Based Exercises

Course Details:
• 🗓️ Date: October 17th
• 📍 Location: Surry Community College Emergency Services Training Center | 258 Training Way, Dobson, NC 27017
• 🕗 Time: 0800–1700 hours

Send a message to learn more

10/06/2026

October 5, 2026

MEMO

FROM: Kim Williams, Training Administrative Assistant
North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal

RE: Chief 101 Updates - Acadis Portal

If you are currently certified the Chief 101 2025 Edition, you have been added to the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Acadis Portal to access the Chief 101 2026 Update and Chief 101 2027 Update Presentations that must be completed by October 1, 2029.

You will receive an email from “Acadis Portal Administrator” containing a link to access the portal. Your username will be the full email address at which you received the Acadis message. Your password should have been created using the link provided in that same email.

Once you log in, the Chief 101 2026 Update training should appear on the main screen. To receive a completed status for the training, you must proceed through all slides of the presentation and finish the Acknowledgement Sheet at the end. Once successfully completed, you should receive an email from Acadis confirming so. These courses will not appear on your OSFM 24 transcript, but these courses will be verified when the new Chief 101 2030 Edition certification process is available. The 2026 and 2027 Chief 101 Updates will both be available in the Acadis Portal beginning October 5, 2026. The 2028 Update will be released in 2027, and the 2029 Update will be released in 2028. All four annual updates must be completed to meet the requirements for Chief 101 2030 Certification.

If you do not receive any Acadis emails, need to change the email address associated with your record, or experience any issues with the Acadis Portal or presentation, please contact Devin Creech at [email protected]. Thank you for your participation.

Office of State Fire Marshal
1202 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1202

tel: 919-647-0000
fax: 919-715-0063

https://ncosfm.gov

10/06/2026

🚨 TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT: Below Grade Rescue Class 🚨

Are you ready to elevate your technical rescue skills? This intensive course trains emergency responders to safely and efficiently extract victims from subsurface spaces.

What the class covers:
• 📐 Rigging & Mechanical Advantage
• 🧺 Basket Lashing
• 🪜 Ladders & Ladder Lashing
• 🪢 Hands-on Scenario-Based Exercises

Course Details:
• 🗓️ Date: October 17th
• 📍 Location: Surry Community College Emergency Services Training Center | 258 Training Way, Dobson, NC 27017
• 🕗 Time: 0800–1700 hours

10/01/2026

Region 2 West and Region 3 Fire Chiefs and School Directors,

I hope this email finds you and your staff in good health!

Beginning October 1, 2026, all Fire & Rescue personnel using OSFM 24 will be required to have a valid 10-digit FEMA Student Identification (SID) number associated with their account.

OSFM is implementing the FEMA SID as a unique identifier to help ensure training, certification, qualification, and testing records are accurately associated with the correct individual. Unlike information such as a name, address, email address, or agency affiliation, which may change throughout a person's career, the FEMA SID remains associated with the individual.

What You Need to Do Now
Important: Most users should expect to enter their FEMA SID again beginning October 1, even if they have previously provided a FEMA SID to OSFM. OSFM 24 is not currently configured to accept FEMA SIDs with leading zeros in the required 10-digit format. The system will be updated on October 1 to accept and require the correct 10-digit FEMA SID format.

Please locate your FEMA SID now and have it available, but do not update your FEMA SID in OSFM 24 before October 1.

If you have previously been issued a FEMA SID but do not remember the number, do not register for a new SID. FEMA provides a lookup tool that can be used to retrieve your existing number at https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid/account/find

If you have never been issued a FEMA SID, you can register for one at no cost through FEMA at https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid/register

FEMA SIDs used in OSFM 24 must contain exactly 10 digits. Individuals with an older FEMA SID containing fewer than 10 digits will need to add zeros to the beginning of the number until it reaches 10 digits.

For example, 1234567 becomes 0001234567.

Beginning October 1
When logging into OSFM 24, users who do not have a valid 10-digit FEMA SID associated with their account will be directed to the Account Information page. A valid, unique 10-digit FEMA SID must be entered before continuing to the OSFM 24 Dashboard.

Please forward this message to personnel and instructors within your department or organization. We are asking Fire Chiefs and School Directors to help us distribute this information as widely as possible so Fire & Rescue personnel across North Carolina are aware of and prepared for the new requirement.

FEMA SIDs are issued and managed by FEMA. OSFM staff cannot create a FEMA SID, look up your FEMA SID, reset your FEMA SID account, or make changes to your FEMA SID information.

For additional information, instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions regarding the FEMA SID requirement, please visit https://ncosfm.gov/FEMASID

Please do not reply to this email. Additional information and guidance regarding the FEMA SID requirement is available at the webpage above.

Thank you,

Joe

Joe Ramsey
Deputy State Fire Marshal/Certification Specialist,
Region 3 and Region 2 West

Learn why OSFM is using FEMA SID for Fire & Rescue personnel, how to find or register for a FEMA SID, and how to enter your 10-digit SID in OSFM 24.

10/01/2026

Hi Everyone,
This is a quick reminder that Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Class Starts This Weekend.
We have received a few questions regarding the required gear and equipment. Please make sure to bring the following items with you:
Helmet
Gloves
Proper clothing and footwear (suitable for training environments)
Harness (If your department has one available for you to use. If not, the college will have harnesses available on-site.)

Location: Surry Community College Emergency Services Training Center 258 Training Way Dobson, NC 27017

Course Schedule:

Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Awareness (FRC 1202)

Friday, October 2nd at 18:00
Saturday, October 3rd at 08:00


Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Operations (FRC 1203)

Saturday, October 3rd at 13:00
Sunday, October 4th at 08:00
Friday, October 9th at 18:00
Saturday, October 10th at 08:00
Sunday, October 11th at 08:00
Friday, October 16th at 18:00
Saturday, October 17th at 08:00


Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Technician (FRC 1204)

Friday, November 6th at 18:00
Saturday, November 7th at 08:00
Sunday, November 8th at 08:00
Friday, November 13th at 18:00
Saturday, November 14th at 08:00
Sunday, November 15th at 08:00


We look forward to seeing you this weekend. Please let us know if you have any other questions before the class begins.

09/09/2026

Surry Community College Fire and Rescue Programs will host an upcoming Fire & Emergency Service Instructor I course this October. Please share this valuable workforce training opportunity with your personnel.

Reference Material for the course: IFSTA - Fire and Emergency Services Instructor, 9th Edition
Office of State Fire Marshal Pre-requisite(s): The candidate must be at least 21 years of age. The candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent (i.e., GED). TIMS (FIP 7000) Firefighter, Technical Rescuer, HazMat Ops, or FLSE certified for three years.

**As of August 2020, the Certification Board requires that candidates MUST meet the prerequisite of being certified for three years in Firefighter, Technical Rescuer, HazMat Ops, or FLSE BEFORE taking Fire Instructor I.
If the student takes the class before the 3 years has been completed, they will have to take the Fire Instructor I class AGAIN after the 3 year requirement has been satisfied.

The complete course details and mandatory registration information are listed below:
• Course Name: Fire & Emergency Service Instructor I

• Dates: October 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, and 31, 2026

• Weeknight Times: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

• Weekend Times: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

• Location: Surry Community College – Elkin Center (Rooms 106/107), 1461 N Bridge St, Elkin, NC 28621

• Registration: Pre-registration is required.

Elkin Center 1461 N Bridge St, Elkin, NC 28621 Dates and Times October 19 1800-2200, October 21 1800-2200, October 24 0800-1700, October 26 1800-2200, October 28 1800-2200, October 31 0800-1700

09/09/2026

Dear Responders,

Surry Community College is pleased to announce the upcoming Technical Rescue Rope Rescue courses: FRC 1202 (Awareness), 1203 (Operations), and 1204 (Technician). Pre-registration Required! https://forms.gle/ttfNJmRAbkhb1rf3A

Course Information & Prerequisites:
• Open to anyone meeting the NC Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) prerequisites (Firefighter I & II OR the Introduction Course).
• These are OSFM certification courses.
• Per state guidelines, students must achieve a 100% pass rate on the practical skills test to qualify for the written certification exam.

Location: Surry Community College Emergency Services Training Center 258 Training Way Dobson, NC 27017

Course Schedule:
Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Awareness (FRC 1202) Pre-registration Required! https://forms.gle/ttfNJmRAbkhb1rf3A
• Friday, October 2nd at 18:00
• Saturday, October 3rd at 08:00

Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Operations (FRC 1203) Pre-registration Required! https://forms.gle/ttfNJmRAbkhb1rf3A
• Saturday, October 3rd at 13:00
• Sunday, October 4th at 08:00
• Friday, October 9th at 18:00
• Saturday, October 10th at 08:00
• Sunday, October 11th at 08:00
• Friday, October 16th at 18:00
• Saturday, October 17th at 08:00

Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Technician (FRC 1204) Pre-registration Required! https://forms.gle/ttfNJmRAbkhb1rf3A
• Friday, November 6th at 18:00
• Saturday, November 7th at 08:00
• Sunday, November 8th at 08:00
• Friday, November 13th at 18:00
• Saturday, November 14th at 08:00
• Sunday, November 15th at 08:00

Please ensure you bring all required personal protective equipment (PPE) and gear.

Surry Community College will be offering the new FRC 1202, 1203 and 1204 Technical Rescue Rope Rescue Awareness, Operations and Technician. This course is for anyone that met the prerequisite required by Office of State Fire Marshal (Firefighter I & II or the Introduction Course) This class is just....

09/09/2026

Surry Community College is hosting the Driver Operator Pumps Sprinklers, Standpipes, Maintenance & Testing Class starting this November. Pre-registration Required https://forms.gle/dqjYxX2jXMZwg76x6

To accommodate your work schedules, this course utilizes a flip-flop schedule. You are required to attend one weeknight and one weekend day each week.

Course Requirements
• Attendance: You must choose either Tuesday OR Wednesday nights, and Saturday OR Sunday day sessions.
• Certification: Students must complete 100% of the practicals to sit for the final written test.

Training Locations & Schedules

Please choose one of the following location tracks to complete your weekly hours:

Option 1: Yadkin Center Track
• Location: Yadkin Center, 1051 College Dr, Yadkinville, NC 27055
• Dates: November 3, 7, 10, 14, 17
• Weeknight Hours: Tuesday | 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Weekend Hours: Saturday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Option 2: Emergency Services Track
• Location: Surry County Emergency Services, EMS Classroom, 1218 State St, Mount Airy, NC 27030
• Dates: November 4, 8, 11, 15, 18
• Weeknight Hours: Wednesday | 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Weekend Hours: Sunday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

OSFM Pre-requisite(s) to be Certified The candidate must be at least 18 years of age. The candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., GED). The candidate must hold TIMS (FIP 7000) Certification. The candidate must hold Emergency Vehicle Driver Certification. The candidate must hol...