You buy them from SkillsTrain, which imports and distributes specialist fire, rescue and EMS training books from IFSTA, NFPA, Jones and Bartlett and more than 20 other global publishers into Africa. These are not titles you will find on a general bookshop shelf. They are the validated manuals that certification courses are built around, and getting the right edition into the country is exactly the gap SkillsTrain fills. EMS means Emergency Medical Services, the paramedic and ambulance side of emergency response.
SkillsTrain supplies the books, it does not run the training. This guide covers who the main publishers are, which flagship editions programmes ask for most, and how to order a specific title.
Why can you not just buy these in a bookshop?
Because they are specialist certification manuals, printed in the United States for a professional training market, not consumer books. A general retailer does not stock them, and importing a single copy yourself means navigating international shipping, edition confusion and licensing on your own.
There is a compliance reason to get it right, too. An accredited programme has to teach from current, licensed material, not a photocopy from three editions ago. SETA-accredited programmes (South Africa's Sector Education and Training Authority accredits and quality-assures vocational training) have to show they are using approved course material. That is why sourcing through a distributor that handles the import and confirms the current edition matters.
Who are the main publishers?
IFSTA, the International Fire Service Training Association, publishes the gold-standard fire-training manuals through Fire Protection Publications at Oklahoma State University, and has done so, validated by fire fighters, since 1934. This is where most fire academies begin.
Jones and Bartlett Learning, through its Public Safety Group, is the other pillar of the fire and EMS training market. It publishes in partnership with bodies like the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, so many titles carry a co-brand. It is the home of the EMS "Orange Book", the PHTLS trauma text, and a full technical-rescue set.
NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association, is the standards body itself. It publishes the codes and standards that every other training book maps back to, so if you certify fire fighters, officers or inspectors, these are the source documents behind the curriculum.
Which editions do programmes ask for most?
These are the current flagship titles African programmes request most often. Each is the named publisher's own work, imported and distributed by SkillsTrain.
- Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition, the core Firefighter I and II manual (IFSTA).
- Hazardous Materials for First Responders, 6th Edition (IFSTA). HAZMAT means hazardous materials, the dangerous chemicals and substances responders handle.
- Chief Officer, 5th Edition, and Fire and Emergency Services Instructor, 10th Edition (IFSTA).
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills and Hazardous Materials Response, 4th Edition (Jones and Bartlett).
- Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured, 13th Edition, the "Orange Book" (Jones and Bartlett with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons).
- PHTLS: Prehospital Trauma Life Support, 10th Edition (Jones and Bartlett with the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians).
Editions matter here, which is why they are listed by number. A certification exam is written against a specific edition, so ordering the current one is not a detail, it is the point.
What about the other publishers?
SkillsTrain distributes titles from more than 20 specialist publishers, so the list above is a starting point, not the full range. That includes CMC Rescue for technical rope-rescue manuals, Pearson and Brady for EMS textbooks, and Fire Engineering for fire-service tactics classics, alongside academic titles from Wiley and Taylor and Francis. If a title exists in fire, rescue, EMS or safety training, it is worth asking, because even where a publisher is not on the standard list, SkillsTrain can usually source it.
How do you order a specific title?
Tell SkillsTrain the field and the publisher, or just the title on your reading list, and you get back the current edition, availability and a price. SkillsTrain keeps this by request rather than as a single static download for a good reason: the publishers update their own catalogues on their own cycles, so a request means you get today's list and today's price, not last year's. If you are refreshing a whole library, ask for the shortlist in your field, such as everything in EMS or everything in technical rescue.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy IFSTA and NFPA training books in South Africa?
From SkillsTrain. It imports and distributes specialist fire, rescue and EMS titles from more than 20 global publishers, including IFSTA, NFPA and Jones and Bartlett, into Africa.
Do you supply SETA-accredited training materials?
SkillsTrain supplies the current, licensed textbooks that accredited programmes teach from. Accreditation is granted by your SETA or certifying body, so confirm the exact required edition with them and SkillsTrain will supply it.
Which editions should I order in 2026?
For firefighters, the current flagships are Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition (IFSTA) and Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills, 4th Edition (Jones and Bartlett), both built to the consolidated NFPA 1010 standard. For EMS, the Orange Book is on its 13th Edition and PHTLS on its 10th.
Can you source a title that is not on your standard list?
Usually, yes. SkillsTrain distributes from more than 20 publishers and can often source titles beyond the standard range. Ask for the specific title and it will confirm availability.
Request a title
Tell SkillsTrain the title, publisher or field you need, and get the current edition, availability and price. SkillsTrain imports the specialist manuals your programme runs on. Request a title.
Editorial note: titles and editions are the named publishers' own works, imported and distributed by SkillsTrain. Confirm the exact required edition with your certifying body before you order.