(a) The chief training officer of a training facility, as a minimum, must possess Fire Service Instructor III certification.
(b) All training instructors (except guest instructors) as a minimum shall possess Fire Instructor Certification. The instructor(s) must be certified in the applicable discipline or be approved by the commission to instruct in the applicable subject.
(c) The lead instructor, as a minimum, shall possess a Fire Service Instructor II certification and must be certified by the commission in the applicable discipline, except as stated in subsections (h)(2) and (i)(2) of this section.
(d) Guest instructors are not required to be certified as instructors.
(e) In order to teach fire officer certification courses, an individual who does not meet the requirements of subsection (a) or (c) of this section, shall possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree in management or its equivalent.
(f) In order to teach an instructor certification training course for Fire Service Instructor I, an individual must hold one of the following three qualifications:
  (1) A Fire Service Instructor II certification or higher; or
  (2) A Bachelor's degree with the following:
    (A) as a minimum, a minor in education; and
    (B) three years of teaching experience in a fire department, department of a state agency, educational institution, or political subdivision of the state, during which time the individual taught a minimum of 200 class hours; or
  (3) An associate degree with the following:
    (A) twelve semester hours of education instructional courses; and
    (B) five years of teaching experience in a fire department, department of a state agency, educational institution, or political subdivision of the state, during which time the individual taught a minimum of 400 class hours.
(g) In order to teach an instructor certification training course for Fire Service Instructor II or III, an individual must hold one of the following three qualifications:
  (1) A Fire Service Instructor III certification; or
  (2) A Bachelor's degree with the following:
    (A) as a minimum, a minor in education; and
    (B) three years of teaching experience in a fire department, department of a state agency, educational institution, or political subdivision of the state, during which time the individual taught a minimum of 200 class hours; or
  (3) An associate degree with the following:
    (A) twelve semester hours of education instructional courses; and
    (B) five years of teaching experience in a fire department, department of a state agency, educational institution, or political subdivision of the state, during which time the individual taught a minimum of 400 class hours.
(h) In order to teach a certification course for Basic Wildland Fire Protection:
  (1) The unit instructor must hold Intermediate Wildland Fire Protection certification or be approved by the commission to instruct a Basic Wildland course and hold:
    (A) commission Fire Service Instructor I certification or higher; or
    (B) instructor credentials as required by the current National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Standards for Course Delivery (901-1) or current Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) guidelines for this level of course.
  (2) The lead instructor must hold NWCG or TIFMAS Single Resource Boss qualification and hold:
    (A) commission Fire Service Instructor I certification or higher; or
    (B) instructor credentials as required by the current NWCG Standards for Course Delivery (901-1) or current TIFMAS guidelines for this level of course.
(i) In order to teach a certification course for Intermediate Wildland Fire Protection:
  (1) The unit instructor must hold an Intermediate Wildland Fire Protection certification or be approved by the commission to instruct an Intermediate Wildland course and hold:
    (A) commission Fire Service Instructor I certification or higher; or
    (B) instructor credentials as required by the current NWCG Standards for Course Delivery (901-1) or current TIFMAS guidelines for this level of course.
  (2) The lead instructor must hold NWCG or TIFMAS Single Resource Boss qualification and:
    (A) commission Fire Service Instructor I certification or higher; or
    (B) instructor credentials as required by the current NWCG Standards for Course Delivery (901-1) or current TIFMAS guidelines for this level of course.

Source Note: The provisions of this §427.307 adopted to be effective March 27, 2006, 31 TexReg 2696; amended to be effective February 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 1219; amended to be effective August 5, 2013, 38 TexReg 4908; amended to be effective March 2, 2014, 39 TexReg 1168; amended to be effective May 20, 2014, 39 TexReg 3874; amended to be effective May 20, 2018, 43 TexReg 3103; amended to be effective April 23, 2023, 48 TexReg 1962