Course Content and Structure

The A.F.O. ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP) requires a different set of skills from that of the A.M.F. multiple-choice examination. This program requires candidates to demonstrate that he/she can write in a clear, organized, and grammatically correct style about a topic of interest relevant to professional aircraft rescue and fighters and be able to present the contents of the project at an ARFF conference and also be able to defend the research conducted on the topic. Independent research on the topic is required and the paper should be presented in a formal, high quality, research paper format.  The ARP should flow in a logical and understandable manner with the conclusion clearly supported by the evidence presented in the body of the project.

The ARFF Educational Affairs Committee will evaluate the paper on its relevance to ARFF, format, form and content.  The project will be graded on a pass/fail basis.  Successful papers will become a permanent part of the ARFFWG and AAAE ARFF libraries and will be made available to other airports as reference materials.

Upon successful completion of the ARP, candidates will be required to present all ARP findings at an ARFFWG Conference of the candidates choosing as well as write a Professional Article to earn the A.F.O. designation.

ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP) Process

• ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative
  Once the candidate officially registers for the program and pays all required dues for the A.F.O. program, the candidate will be assigned an ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative. This individual will be the point of contact for the candidate throughout the A.F.O. process.
  
  Candidates are encouraged to contact their assigned ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative at anytime during the A.F.O. process. To keep the candidate on track with the development and flow of the project, an outline of the paper should be developed and submitted to the assigned ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative for critique.
  
  
• ARFF Applied Research Proposal Form
  The ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative will provide the candidate with an ARFF Applied Research Proposal form for the ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP). The form will include the end date for the candidate to have the AFO paper completed, which will be three years from the date the form is sent. The candidate will then have 30 days to complete this form and send to the assigned ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative for review and approval.
  
  The ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative will review the submitted ARFF Applied Research Proposal Form and provide feedback to the candidate within 30 days following submission. The ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative will advise if the selected topic is approved, rejected, or requires more clarification. If the topic is approved, the candidate may proceed with writing the paper. However, if the topic is rejected or requires further clarification, all revisions or a new topic must be resubmitted within 30 days from date of notice.
  
  
• Some Helpful Tips for Selecting a Topic
  Choosing your topic should be an expression of your professional and personal interest. It is important to remember that many topics are too narrow to be developed into a management paper. Your subject should not be a description of an activity, incident or process at your airport that has little relative value for other airport fire fighters.  Candidates should discuss the selection of an appropriate topic with their assigned ARFF Educational Affairs Representative.

Refer to the two sample forms below. 

• ARP Resources and Guidelines
  Candidates must conduct independent research when developing the ARP.  A good amount of information may be obtained from the A.M.F. Study Materials as well as other external resources.  Candidates are encouraged to conduct interviews with superiors, peers and colleagues as well as meet with other ARFF facilities when gathering information for the ARP.
  
  Candidates are required to use the most recent edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Manual.  This resource is not provided by AAAE or the ARFFWG but may refer to the APA Website for more information on how to obtain this resource.
  
  
• ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP) Submission of Final Draft
  Candidates must submit all drafts (including the final draft) of the ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP) to the assigned ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative. This may be done electronically through email to the ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative. All papers are to be submitted in an editable format (i.e. Microsoft Word).  Once the ARP is at the point for final submission, the ARFFWG Educational Affairs Representative will submit the final draft to the ARFFWG Educational Affairs Committee for review and grading. 
  
  Please refer to the ARFF Professional Designation Learning Guide for more information on the Evaluation of the ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP)

Sample ARFF Applied Research Project (ARP)

• See below for a sample ARP by Chief Duane Kann, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) Fire Department

ARFF Training Alliance Library
All submitted and graded ARP’s will be become part of the ARFF Training Alliance Library

ARP Presentation
After the ARP has been graded, the candidates assigned ARFF Educational Affairs Representative will issue a Notice to Proceed to the ARP Presentation.  The ARP Presentation portion of the ARFF Designation process is designed to give the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the research conducted throughout the ARFF Research Project (ARP) and to speak clearly and effectively while organizing thoughts in response to questions asked by the panel. At least three ARFFWG Educational Affairs Committee members and an assembled group of peers administer the oral exam. An ARFFWG Educational Affairs Committee member will serve as the lead examiner and will have control over the timing of the presentation.

More information on the ARP Presentation and helpful hints to prepare is presented in the ARFF Professional Designation Learning Guide ARFF Professional Designation Learning Guide .

Professional Article Requirement
The final requirement of the A.F.O. process is the submission of a 1,000 word professional article to be published in the ARFFWG or AAAE publications. The article should be a summary of the A.F.O. Applied Research Project (ARP) and subsequent conclusion that was reached during the project. The article may include pictures or diagrams that are appropriate to the summary and assist in showing necessary detail of the candidate’s research and conclusion. The article must be submitted prior to or at the time of the oral presentation and A.F.O. credentials will not be issued until it has been submitted.

Note: Any pictures or diagrams used must specifically state they are personally owned (I.e. you own the picture or diagram) or show you have permission to use the pictures or diagrams.

Contacts
For more information regarding this process, refer to the ARFFWG website or email them directly at [email protected].