What is a Training Plan, and what can it do for my agency?

Every fire and emergency services agency has training requirements. These may include credential renewals, statutory or jurisdictional requirements, internal agency standards, or requirements established by outside organizations.

Training Plans provide a centralized location for organizing and tracking required training. Administrators and members can use Training Plans to:

• Monitor completion progress.
• Access suggested online courses.
• Track credential renewal requirements.
• Organize statutory, jurisdictional, and internal training requirements.
• Create structured plans that require minimal ongoing administration.

If I am creating or importing new credentials how should I set up the requirement areas? 

During this time while Training Plans and Credentials are being updated, the best practice is to set up the requirement areas within the Training Plan rather than the credential.  Establishing requirement areas within the credential is considered a legacy process and over the coming month the option to create those will no longer be available.  

How can I configure Training Plans to meet my agency’s needs?

Training Plans can be configured in two primary ways:

Training Plan Only

A standalone Training Plan is appropriate when an agency needs to track training requirements that are not associated with a credential. Examples include:

• Internal agency training requirements.
• State or jurisdictional fire training requirements.
• Annual ISO training requirements.
• Requirements established by an outside organization.

Training Plan Linked to a Credential

Linking a Training Plan to a Credential allows the agency to track and manage credential renewal requirements for assigned members.

This configuration can reduce manual administration by using each member’s credential cycle to establish their Training Plan completion period. Depending on the Credential settings, the platform may also automate portions of the credential renewal process.

Each member has a different credential renewal date. Can a Training Plan manage each person’s renewal period individually?

Yes. Although a Training Plan is created with a defined structure, each assigned member can have an individual completion period.

When a Training Plan is linked to a Credential, the member’s credential issue and expiration dates determine their Training Plan cycle. As a result, members assigned to the same Credential can work through the same Training Plan while maintaining different completion periods based on their individual renewal dates.

I want my agency’s Credentials and Training Plans to align with the approving jurisdiction. Do I need to create each one manually?

Not necessarily.

For U.S.-based clients, EMS Credentials and their associated Training Plans may be available for import. A Global Training Plan is also available to assist agencies with tracking annual ISO training requirements.

Importing a Global Credential or Training Plan can help ensure that required areas are included and reduce the amount of initial setup required.

For clients outside the United States, additional import options are being developed as jurisdictional requirements are identified and configured.

My agency uses another method to track credential renewals. Do I still need to link a Training Plan to the Credential?

No. A Credential does not need to be linked to a Training Plan.

Agencies that manage renewal requirements through another system or process can create and assign Credentials independently. Credential issue dates, expiration dates, and renewal activity can be managed without using a linked Training Plan.

Can a Credential be configured so that issue and expiration dates do not have to be managed manually?

Yes. Credential renewal behavior is determined by the renewal option selected during Credential setup.

Do Not Automatically Renew

This option requires administrators to manage the renewal process manually.

When the Credential expires, administrators must assign the Credential with updated issue and expiration dates. This applies whether or not the Credential is linked to a Training Plan.

This option may also be appropriate for Credentials that do not expire.

Date of Expiration

This option automatically renews the Credential when its expiration date is reached.

The system creates new issue and expiration dates based on the renewal period configured in the Credential setup.

Date of Expiration with Completion — Coming Soon

This option will renew the Credential when its expiration date is reached, provided that all requirements in the linked Training Plan have been completed.

If the Training Plan is incomplete, the Credential will remain in an Expired status until the completion requirements are met.

Date All Completion Requirements Are Met

This option automatically renews the Credential when all requirements in the linked Training Plan have been completed.

The new Credential cycle is based on the date the member completes the requirements rather than the previous expiration date.

If agency members are going through their initial completion cycle for a credential how can I capture their progress? 

If your agency has members going through their initial credential completion (they currently don't possess it) a customized Training Plan can be created to align the requirements set out by the governing body. Training Plans linked to a credential are only for those situations where users are handling their renewal requirements and already possess the credential.

Can training completed beyond one requirement be applied to another requirement area?

Yes. Requirement-area prioritization can help manage training that may qualify for more than one area.

Courses can be associated with multiple Categories, Topics, or Standards. When requirement areas are prioritized appropriately, qualifying training can first be applied to the highest-priority requirement. Additional eligible credit may then be applied to another requirement area.

This is especially useful for requirements such as:

• ISO Company Training.
• EMS elective hours.
• Other areas where completed training may satisfy more than one category of requirements.

Agencies should review course associations and requirement-area priorities carefully to ensure training credit is applied as intended.

I imported a Global Training Plan and see Topics my agency does not currently use. What should I do with them?

When a Global Training Plan is imported, any Topics included in the plan that do not already exist in the agency’s setup are also imported.

The agency can manage these Topics in either of the following ways:

• Associate the imported Topics with existing Courses so that completed training is credited to the appropriate requirement areas.
• Clone the imported Training Plan and update its requirement areas to use the agency’s existing Topics.

Before publishing or assigning the plan, review all imported Topics, course associations, and requirement areas to confirm that they align with the agency’s training structure and reporting needs.