RPL for Certificate III in Fire Protection

Certificate III in Fire Protection takes 37 units. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, each unit is assessed on evidence of work you have already done rather than on training you sit through.

What the assessment looks at

Every unit sets out what you must be able to do and what you must know. An assessor works through them one at a time, asking the same question each time: does this person's evidence show they can do this reliably, in a real workplace, recently enough to count?

You can read the full requirements for CPC32820 on the national training register. They are public, and worth a look before you spend anything — if the units describe work you have never done, RPL is not your route.

Evidence worth gathering before you start

• Photos of completed jobs, ideally showing a few stages of the same job, with their original dates intact.
• Job sheets, dockets, work orders or site diaries covering a spread of jobs.
• Supervisors, employers or clients who will confirm specifically what you did.
• Any licences or tickets you already hold.

How the guided process works

You work through the 37 units one at a time, talking about jobs you have actually done. You can speak rather than type. Add photos as you find them, and stop whenever you like — progress saves itself, and most people spread this over weeks while they dig out records. At the end you have an evidence portfolio your RTO's assessor can work through.

What this does not do

It does not assess you, and it cannot promise you CPC32820. An assessor at a registered training organisation makes that decision and may require further evidence or training. What a complete portfolio buys you is a fair assessment rather than a rejection over paperwork.

See what CPC32820 involves →

The 37 units you complete, chosen from these 50

You do not do all 50. Certificate III in Fire Protection is 32 core units, which everyone does, plus 5 chosen from the 18 electives below. Read both lists before you spend anything — it is the fastest way to tell whether RPL is your route. If most of this describes work you have done, you have a case to make. If whole sections describe work you have never touched, an assessor will say so, and doing the course is the honest answer.

Worth knowing: 37 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters; 3 carry licensing or regulatory notes, which differ by state and are worth checking before you start.

Core units — everyone does these

• CPCPCM2039 — Carry out interactive workplace communication
• CPCPCM2040 — Read plans, calculate quantities and mark out materials
• CPCPCM2041 — Work effectively in the plumbing services sector
• CPCPCM2043 — Carry out WHS requirements
• CPCPCM2045 — Handle and store plumbing materials
• CPCPCM2046 — Use plumbing hand and power tools
• CPCPCM2047 — Carry out levelling
• CPCPCM2049 — Cut using oxy-acetylene equipment
• CPCPCM2052 — Weld mild steel using oxy-acetylene equipment
• CPCPCM2053 — Weld using metal arc welding equipment
• CPCPCM3023 — Fabricate and install non-ferrous pressure piping
• CPCPFS2021 — Connect static storage tanks for fixed fire protection systems
• CPCPFS3030 — Design fire sprinkler systems using pre-calculated charts and tables
• CPCPFS3031 — Fabricate and install fire hydrant and hose reel systems
• CPCPFS3034 — Install control valve assemblies, actuating devices and local alarms
• CPCPFS3036 — Install special hazard systems
• CPCPFS3037 — Install residential life safety sprinkler systems
• CPCPFS3038 — Test and maintain fire hydrant and hose reel installations
• CPCPFS3040 — Conduct basic functional testing of water-based fire-suppression systems
• CPCPFS3041 — Inspect and test fire pumpsets
• CPCPFS3042 — Conduct annual routine service of complex water-based fire-suppression systems
• CPCPFS3043 — Conduct functional water flow testing
• CPCPFS3044 — Install distribution and range pipes
• CPCPFS3045 — Fit off sprinkler heads, controls and ancillary equipment
• CPCPFS3046 — Test the integrity of water-based fire protection systems using pressure
• CPCPFS3047 — Test and maintain automatic fire sprinklers
• CPCPFS3048 — Install fixed fire pumpsets
• CPCPMS3031 — Fabricate and install steel pressure piping
• CPCPWT3028 — Install property service
• CPPFES2025A — Inspect, test and maintain gaseous fire-suppression systems
• CPPFES2043A — Prevent ozone depleting substance and synthetic greenhouse gas emissions
• CPPFES2047A — Inspect and test control and indicating equipment

Electives — you choose from these

• CPCCCM2008 — Erect and dismantle restricted height scaffolding
• CPCCCM2012 — Work safely at heights
• CPCCCM3001 — Operate elevated work platforms up to 11 metres
• CPCCPB3015 — Install acoustic and thermal environmental protection systems
• CPCCRI3001 — Operate personnel and materials hoists
• CPCCST2005 — Carry out load slinging of off-site materials
• CPCCWHS2001 — Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry
• CPCPCM2048 — Cut and join sheet metal
• CPCPCM2054 — Carry out simple concreting and rendering
• CPCPCM3021 — Flash penetrations through roofs and walls
• CPCPCM3022 — Weld polymer pipes using fusion method
• CPCPCM3024 — Prepare simple drawings
• CPCPFS2022 — Install portable fire equipment
• CPCPFS3049 — Conduct preventive maintenance on fixed fire pumpsets
• CPCPWT3025 — Install water pumpsets
• CPCPWT3029 — Install water pipe systems
• CPPCMN2002 — Participate in workplace safety arrangements
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid

Each unit breaks down further into elements and performance criteria — the specific things you have to be able to show. The guide works through them one unit at a time and asks about jobs you have actually done, rather than making you read the register yourself.

Related qualifications

Same training package, and a common second choice for people who find this one is not quite their trade:

• Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220, 34 units)
• Certificate III in Concreting (CPC30320, 22 units)
• Certificate III in Demolition (CPC30426, 20 units)
• Certificate III in Painting and Decorating (CPC30620, 29 units)
• Certificate III in Shopfitting (CPC30120, 18 units)
• Certificate III in Signs and Graphics (CPC30216, 16 units)

More RPL in construction, plumbing and services

Every qualification in this industry, which of them have a guide ready, and what assessors here accept as evidence: RPL in construction, plumbing and services.

When you are ready, see what CPC32820 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.