In 1932, Stillwater Fire Chief J. Ray Pence invited the Oklahoma State Firefighter Association to hold it’s annual fire training in Stillwater, supported by the Stillwater Fire Department and Oklahoma A&M College. In 1933 Pence, supported by the Western Actuarial Bureau, a group of insurance companies, invited to Stillwater, representatives from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Out of this meeting, the participants saw a need to compile instructional manuals on the basics of fire fighting. By 1934, the first of many manuals was completed, with hand drawn illustrations, An Introductory Course. It later became the first "Redbook" (noted by the red covers).

W. Fred Heisler, a teacher trainer and Director of Fire Service Training at Oklahoma A&M(now Oklahoma State University) from 1934-1951, was the author, coordinator, and editor of the Redbooks for the next twenty years. The publication and distribution of these fire training manuals evolved into a separate entity which, starting in 1973, would be known as Fire Protection Publications. After Heisler’s retirement, Everett Hudiburg became editor of the publication of the Redbooks - an operation which was housed in the Number Two Fire Station on the campus of OSU. By 1965, the staff of FPP outgrew the fire station, and the people involved in the writing and publishing of the manuals were moved into Quonset hut #2 - a World War II temporary building on the OSU campus.

Through the years, customers and fire service personnel who have followed the progress of our operation have noticed that at any given time it may be referred to by one of two names: Fire Protection Publications or the International Fire Service Training Association. To some, it may seem that these names can be used interchangeably. To others it is just plain confusing. Hopefully this will help you understand these two different organizations and their relationship.

Fire Protection Publications (FPP) is a department of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT) a division within Oklahoma State University (OSU), a land grant university. FPP is the world’s leading publisher of training materials for the fire and emergency services. FPP serves as the headquarters for the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA). FPP is funded solely by revenues it generates through the sales of its materials; it does not receive funding from the university. Any funds that are left over after meeting operational expenses are used for the development of new products and capital improvements.

FPP employs approximately 75 full- and part-time employees in three buildings on the OSU campus. Each of these buildings was constructed and/or is maintained with funds generated by the sale of the fire training materials. The main FPP office building houses the administrative and business functions, graphic production department, and the library and archives. A second office building houses the editorial division. Between these two office buildings is the FPP warehouse and shipping facility.

IFSTA is an association of fire service personnel who are dedicated to upgrading fire fighting techniques and safety through training. It is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 15 elected members and an Executive Director. The officers of the Board include the Chair, Vice Chair, and Executive Director. The Board has the sole policy-making authority for the Association so long as such policies do not conflict with the procedures of Oklahoma State University. Duties of the Board include establishing policies, establishing standing and ad hoc committees, discontinuing projects, establishing new projects, approving scope and purpose statements, approving titles for new and revised training materials, advising Fire Protection Publications on pertinent matters, and maintaining external relations with other organizations.

The members of the Board are elected by the delegates for a term of three years. The Chair is elected by simple majority of the Board. The Chair presides over all Board and General Assembly meetings. It is also the duty of the Chair to appoint all standing and ad hoc committees. The Vice Chair is appointed by the Chair from the Board membership. The Vice Chair serves as chair of the Administrative Committee, chair of the Delegate Selection Committee, and to accomplish other duties as assigned by the Board. The Executive Director is an employee of Oklahoma State University who is approved by the Board. The Executive Director is empowered to act autonomously for the Executive Board in questions of policy that are of concern to the Association until such time as the Board can give those questions due consideration.

about IFSTA's current Executive Board.