Certified First Responder Courses

Jefferson County EMS offers Certified First Responder (CFR) courses, which allow students who complete the course to obtain a NYS CFR certification. A CFR (sometimes referred to as EMR or Emergency Medical Responder) is one of the four prehospital emergency medical certifications in NYS, and it is designed for non-transporting first responders. This certification does not allow you to transport a patient on an ambulance alone and typically does not result in employment locally. CFRs can provide basic first aid such as bleeding control techniques, CPR, basic airway management techniques, etc.

To register for the courses listed below, CLICK HERE.

Certified First Responder (CFR) Courses

Certified First Responder (CFR) Program Information

Application & Admission Process

• Complete the Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services Training Course Application.
• EMS Office staff will contact you with further information and instructions.
• Students must be at least 16 years of age prior to the last day of the month in which the course is completed or scheduled to be completed.
• Please submit your application as soon as possible. Courses that reach full enrollment before the deadline will be closed.

If you have any questions, please call the EMS office at (315) 786-3760.

Tuition, Withdrawal, and Refund Schedule

• Tuition for the CFR Original course is $290.00, and the CFR Refresher course is $165.00.
• There is no tuition fee for students who are members of an EMS Agency with a valid NYS Health Department Agency Code or those who complete the Community Internship program with a JCEMS-approved EMS agency. Those who do not meet these criteria are considered an "unaffiliated student."
• Tuition covers course enrollment only. The textbook and equipment (blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, etc.) are separate. For more information about tuition, click here.
• Accepted forms of payment include checks and money orders. Checks and money orders should be made out to the “Jefferson County Treasurer” and mailed or hand-delivered to the EMS office. Please include the enrolled student's name and "CFR tuition" in the subject line of the check or money order.
• Students can withdraw from the course at any time. Withdrawals must be made in writing to the course instructor. Failure to notify the instructor formally in writing will result in the student failing the course instead of withdrawing.
• If an unaffiliated student, as described above, has paid their tuition as required and drops the course within three weeks of the course start date, the student will receive a full tuition refund. If an unaffiliated student has exceeded the third week of the class and drops, they will not be entitled to receive any tuition refund.
• GI Bill benefits are not currently accepted by JCEMS.

Course Co-Requisites

Students must complete the following courses before the end of the course. All course certificates must be submitted to the course instructor. All certificates should be saved or scanned as a PDF. Do not submit screenshots.

For IS-100 and IS-700, you need a Student Identification (SID) number. Follow these instructions to create your SID.

• IS-100.C: Introduction to the Incident Command System, IS-100
• IS-700.B: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System, IS-700

Complete ONE of the following Hazardous Materials Courses:

• Hazardous Materials Awareness (FEMA-Center for Domestic Preparedness)
• AWR160: WMD/Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders
• NYS Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (HMFRO)
• NYS Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations (BEFO)
• NYS Firefighter 1
• Pro Board Firefighter 1

Supplies & Additional Fees/Expenses

Students are responsible for purchasing all the following:

• Blood pressure cuff & stethoscope (pricing varies depending on where you purchase it from)
• Binder recommended for printed notes
• Loose-leaf paper or notebook for note-taking
• PSI Testing Center fee for NYS certification exam ($31)

Refresher Course

• Students can take a refresher course only if they are currently certified as a NYS EMS provider, were previously certified as a NYS EMS provider, or have previously completed the course but failed the NYS certification exam. Please contact us if you have any questions as to whether you qualify for a refresher course.
• CFR refresher students will take a written exam and practical skills examination within the first week of the course, if desired. Based on the results of this examination, a learning contract will be created, which will state what class sessions are mandatory for the student to attend. If the student doesn't challenge either the exam or the practical skills, they will be required to attend all class sessions and the final NYS PSE.
• Students must sign and follow the learning contract to complete the course.
• Students are invited to attend all course sessions, including sessions that are not mandatory per their individualized learning contract. It is recommended that the student inform their instructor of which optional class sessions they plan to attend.
• Refresher students are not required to complete any clinical patient contacts.

Course Goal and Successful Completion Criteria

Students will complete the course and become eligible to sit for the NYS CFR Certification Exam after completing the following:

• Achieve an overall cumulative course grade of at least 70%.
• Attend every class session and/or complete all approved make-up sessions by the last course session.
• Obtain an AHA BLS Provider CPR Certification or equivalent (class provided at no cost during every course).
• Obtain an IS-100.C: Introduction to the Incident Command System, IS-100 certification.
• Obtain an IS-700.B: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System, IS-700 certification.
• Obtain a Hazardous Materials Awareness Level certification.
• Complete a skills portfolio book satisfactorily to the Lead Instructor and JCEMS standards.

After completing the course, students will take two NYS exams: the first contains a hands-on skills test, and the second is a computer-based cognitive examination. Students will need to pass each skill station and obtain a score over 70% on the cognitive examination to become a NYS-certified CFR.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act makes it possible for students with verifiable disabilities to request an accommodation for the New York State Certification Examinations with proper documentation of their disability. All students should review NYS Division of EMS Policy Statement 22-03, which contains instructions regarding how the student must proceed with their request for accommodations. Accommodation requests for the NYS Certification Examination must be made no later than eight (8) weeks before the end of the course date. Students must make an accommodation request to NYS. It is the responsibility of the student, not the instructor, to make the request.

JCEMS, nor its staff, discusses or screens for disabilities, or considers addressing any potential disabilities before a student’s admission into the course or during the course.

If a student would like to discuss a disability that may affect his/her performance during the educational portions of a course (classroom, clinical, and/or field rotations, laboratory sessions, etc.), the student should speak privately to the course instructor and/or contact the EMS Office. All students must complete all aspects of all course requirements as outlined elsewhere in this documentation to proceed to the NYS Psychomotor Skills Examination (PSE) and then to the NYS Certification Examination. JCEMS will provide accommodations within its ability, provided it does not create an unreasonable financial hardship.