VFIS University

Emergency Services Course Listing

VFIS University offers our clients quality online education and training courses for emergency responders, many of which are recognized as meeting industry continuing education requirements, and you'll receive a certificate upon completion of each course. All courses are available online 24/7 so that you can work to be better prepared for every call, help reduce your risks for injury and loss and increase your skillsets to better support your team and community — all from the convenience of your home or work computer. Access VFIS University here.

  • Behavioral Health Concerns

    This course introduces a nine key behavioral health considerations for emergency services personnel.

    This program introduces a series of behavioral health considerations for emergency services personnel; including: stress, workplace violence, drug and alcohol addiction, depression and suicide and post-traumatic stress. Based upon the�VFIS Emergency Responder Behavioral Health Assistance Model,�this program reviews best practices for wellness services, peer support and assessing the behavioral health assistance program within an emergency services organization.
    Objectives:

    • Define behavioral health and associated concerns in emergency services
    • List actions which can be taken by individuals and organizations
    • Describe common types of assistance and other resources
  • Injury Prevention

    This program discusses the causes and impacts of slips, trips and falls in emergency service operating environments.

    This program is intended to assist the student in understanding the causes and impacts of slips, trips and falls in emergency service operating environments. An overview of the causes of strain and sprain injuries and information on how to prevent the incidents from occurring will be discussed.
    Objectives:

    • Define and differentiate a strain, sprain, slip, trip and fall
    • Identify the most common hazards which lead to personnel injury
    • Describe best practices to prevent personnel injury
  • Vanessa K. Free

    Driver training refresher to meet Vanessa K. Free Emergency Services Training Act.

    The Vanessa K. Free Driver Training Program on VFIS University is a free training program developed by VFIS to assist emergency services personnel comply with the Vanessa K. Free Emergency Services Training Act of 2005.Follow the instructions contained within this course to obtain the Vanessa K. Free Driver Training Program certificate of completion.

  • FASNY OSHA 2023

    FASNY OSHA Refresher for 2023.

    The FASNY OSHA Annual Refresher on VFIS University is a free training program developed by VFIS in partnership with FASNY. Follow the instructions contained within this course to obtain the FASNY OSHA Annual Refresher 2023 certificate of completion.

  • Ten Cones of Safety Video

    Discusses best operating guidelines when working on a highway incident.

    Provide personnel with knowledge to help them recognize the inherent dangers in responding to highway incidents, as well as best safety principles, strategies and practices. This video includes interviews about a fatal highway response incident and the Ten Cones of Highway Incident Safety. 

  • Intersection Safety

    Discusses 8 guidelines to reduce the number and severity of intersection accidents.

    This video stresses eight guidelines that may help reduce the number and severity of intersection accidents, and is intended for ESOs responding to incidents in both department and personal vehicles.

  • Privately Owned Vehicles Video

    Designed to assist in the reduction of unsafe POV operation.

    This is a video-based program which is part of the VFIS Risk Management Video Series. The VFIS Risk Management Video Series is also available as a DVD or USB and can be ordered online at: shop.vfis.com.

  • Safe Backing Video

    Designed to assist in the reduction of damage and/or injury thru safe back best practices.

    Help reduce the risk of damage and/or injury within your organization by explaining the importance of safe vehicle backing measures and learning best practices.

  • NC Who Holds the Keys

    Discusses safe vehicle operation focused on North Carolina.

    Based upon VFIS claims data and experience across North America, the goal of this program is to increase vehicle operation safety by applying basic principles of risk management and risk control. From emergency service organization leadership to emergency vehicle operators, each member "holds the keys" to safe emergency vehicle operations. This program provides an overview of claims data in North Carolina.

  • Background Investigations

    Discusses the reasons and importance of the background checks process.

    This program discusses the reasons Fire and EMS agencies should conduct background checks and the process to be used to assure members are free from backgrounds of concern.

  • Cancer Prevention

    Best practices to reduce the exposure to carcinogens and the number of cancer cases.

    This program is intended to introduce best practices to reduce the exposure to carcinogens and ultimately the number of cancer cases among emergency services personnel.

  • Cyber Risk Assessment

    An introduction to cyber security for fire, EMS and 911 center leadership..

    This program describes the importance of a cyber risk assessment, the legal and regulatory requirements related to cyber security, risks associated with cloud and third-party vendors, significance of industry standards and frameworks and preparing and/or reassessing your cyber incident response plan.

  • Cyber Risk Awareness

    An intro to cyber security for all members and serves as annual refresher training..

    This program describes the role of all personnel related to cyber security, terms, legal and regulatory requirements, risks associated with cloud and third-party vendors, methods to safeguard against a cyber security incident and identify modern cyber threats and take action to prevent unauthorized access.

  • Drive Safe

    Hard-hitting program on personal responsibility and mindful driving of emergency vehicles.

    Drive Safe is a short, hard-hitting program on personal responsibility and mindful driving. It is suggested as mandatory training for all new personnel and serves as an excellent refresher and awareness program regarding driving safe and distracted driving impact.

  • Ergonomic Issues

    Review of engineering and admin controls to reduce slips, trips, falls and back injuries.

    Strains and sprains are the most frequent cause of fire and EMS personnel being injured in the workplace. These are considered ergonomic related injuries. This program reviews the implementation of engineering controls, administrative controls, or a combination of both to reduce back injuries.

  • Firefighter Rehab

    Overview of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for fire and EMS personnel.

    This program is intended to provide an overview of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan which is a key element to ensure responder safety, recognizing potentially lethal symptoms early.

  • Hazard Communications

    Overview of the hazard communication standard and its application to fire and EMS.

    This program describes the Hazard Communication Standard and its implications for emergency services, workplace labeling and requirements, types of hazards by labels and sections of safety data sheets.

  • HIPAA Compliance Training for Healthcare Workers

    HIPAA requires the implementation of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to address the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Protected Health Information (PHI). This training provides an overview of the HIPAA law and the role healthcare workers play in maintaining HIPAA compliance. This course can be used for new employee orientation and as a refresher training for healthcare staff.

  • Incident Investigation

    Discusses why and how to conduct and incident investigation.

    This program provides the background on why to conduct incident investigations and how to conduct an incident investigation. Describe the need for an attitude of prevention, the importance of incident investigation procedures, Forms are provided for use within the VFIS File Center.

  • Infectious Disease BBP

    Annual refresher training for bloodborne pathogens and communicable disease.

    This program provides the content and guidance for meeting the annual refresher training requirements for Bloodborne Pathogen and Communicable Disease for emergency service personnel.

  • Leadership

    Discusses leadership and shares different perspectives and applicable situations.

    This program is designed for future leaders, or current leaders. The session provides a discussion on the concept of leadership in the emergency services, introducing several different perspectives and applicable situations involving leadership, and allows the participant to consider tools and techniques for individual application.

  • Sexual Abuse and Misconduct

    Discusses child sexual abuse and ways to help prevent it in the fire and EMS workplace.

    This program takes an honest look at child sexual abuse in a variety of settings that provide services to children and teenagers, including fire/EMS agencies. This session offers considerations to help prevent child sexual abuse.

  • Lock Out Tag Out

    Best operating practices related to removing energy from equipment.

    This program applies to firefighter involvement with equipment and circumstances in which the unexpected energization or start up or release of stored energy could cause injury to firefighters or civilians.

  • Managing Financial Systems

    Reivews financial management best operating practices for fire and EMS assets .

    Managing Fire and EMS Agency Financial Systems is an important aspect of leading an organization in the 21st century. Thefts, embezzlement or similar loss situations create not only a financial challenge for the organization, but presents a negative image in the community. This program reviews the financial management issues that need to be well managed with emphasis on implementing specific systems providing checks and balances for managing funds.

  • Patient Handling

    This program is intended to provide an overview of proper patient handling techniques..

    This session discusses the needed resources, patient lifting and handling as well as transport of bariatric patients, to prevent emergency responders putting the patients, themselves and others at risk of injury.

  • Personal Protective Equipment

    Annual refresher on the inspection, maintenance, and selection and use of common PPE.

    A wide variety of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be used by emergency services personnel to protect themselves when performing hazardous tasks on an incident scene or around the station. This program serves as an orientation and annual refresher for proper inspection, maintenance, selection and use of common emergency services PPE.

  • POV Answering Call Safely

    Discusses proper training and best operating practices for POV operation .

    This program is designed to aid in the national effort to reduce privately owned vehicle (POV) crashes. VFIS has designed this program to help emergency services organizations provide proper training and develop standard operating guidelines to help reduce the risk associated with driving POVs.

  • Reputation Management

    Disucsses how an ESO can maintain a positive reputation and mitigate the related risk.

    This program discusses the importance of maintaining a positive reputation as an emergency services organization. An organization must effectively prevent and mitigate reputational risk. Effective reputational risk management will enable public trust to be maintained.

  • Safety Culture

    Discusses risk assessment methods to efficiently manage and communicate the safety message.

    This program defines what a safety culture is and a series of key points to help understand culture as it relates to safety, the importance of a risk assessment, methods to effectively manage and communicate change, and possible barriers to change.

  • Seat Belt Safety

    A contributing factor in LODD from vehicle operation is lack of seat belt use.

    VFIS believes strongly in the use of seat belts and supports the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation "Seat Belt Pledge". This program reinforces the importance of seat belts in emergency services.

  • Sexual Harassment Prevention

    Discusses preventive practices related to sexual harassment to manage the risk to the org.

    This program discusses issues and concerns regarding sexual harassment and preventive practices to manage your organization's risk. The program provides annual refresher content.

  • Social Media

    Discusses issues, concerns, and necessary actions to manage social media.

    Social media has increased the opportunity for emergency service organizations and its members to communicate. These communication opportunities create potential management challenges and related liabilities if there are no controls in place. This program will discuss the issues, concerns, and necessary actions to manage social media in an emergency services organization.

  • Station Safety

    Station safety best practices for people, vehicle, tools and equipment, and facilities.

    This program is intended to provide guidance for the best practices in station safety for the protection of (1) people, (2) vehicles, (3) tools & equipment, & (4) facilities.

  • 10 Keys for Safe Vehicle Ops

    This VFIS University course focuses on key issues affecting safe vehicle operations.

    This program discusses "Ten Key Issues Affecting Safe Vehicle Operations" based upon research and experience of VFIS in insuring emergency service vehicles and conducting vehicle safe driving research and training for more than 50 years.

  • Respectful Workplace Employee

    Harassment prevention training for staff.

    This program defines what harassment is, gives examples of desirable behaviors and what crosses the line, and identifies the channels for reporting harassing behavior. This program is intended for all personnel within an organization.

  • Respectful Workplace Supervisor

    Harassment prevention training for supervisors.

    This program defines what harassment is, gives examples of desirable behaviors and what crosses the line, and identifies the channels for reporting harassing behavior. This program is intended for management personnel within an organization.

  • Tool and Equipment Safety

    The participant will learn to ID, inspect, maintain, and safely use common tools.

    This program is designed to familiarize personnel with the safety considerations for the identification, inspection, maintenance and use of common tools and equipment. Personnel are encouraged to understand the ten components of tool and equipment safety for all tools and equipment they may be expected to use. This program also serves as a basic introduction to fire extinguisher use.

  • Who Holds the Keys to Safe Emergency Vehicle Operations

    Every member "holds the keys" to safe emergency vehicle operation.

    The goal of this program is to increase vehicle operation safety by applying basic principles of risk management and risk control. From emergency service organization leadership to emergency vehicle operators, each member "holds the keys" to safe emergency vehicle operations.

  • Workplace Violence

    Discusses awareness, prevention techniques, and actions necessary when events occur..

    This program discusses an operational overview designed for the participant to gain a better understanding of the awareness of the workplace violence issue, prevention techniques, and actions necessary when events occur.