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Week One
Chapter 1- Fire Science
Education and the Firefighter Selection Process
Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the differences between a community
college certificate, an associate degree, and a four-year degree in
fire science.
2. List the advantages of obtaining a certificate
or degree from a regionally accredited institution.
3. Describe the availability of on-line fire
science programs and training.
4. Assess your career potential in the fire
service.
5. Give examples of work ethics.
6. Explain the need for sensitivity to diversity
inside and outside of the workplace.
7. Describe the different levels and availability
of training programs.
8. Give examples of different types of personnel
development programs.
9. List the steps in the selection process and
important aspects of each.
10. List ways you can prepare for the selection
process.
11. Explain the purpose and importance of the
probationary period.
12. Identify the steps in setting SMART goals.
Vocabulary Introduced:
- Call-back - a recall of personnel to
on-duty status, usually due to an emergency situation
- Critical incident stress debriefing -
a discussion in which personnel are encouraged to express their
feelings after responding to and operating in particularly
stressful events that result in high loss of life or other
significant conditions; conducted to help personnel better deal
with their emotions
- Curriculum - a particular course of
study
- Demographics - the statistical
characteristics (e.g., age, race, gender, income) of the
population of an area
- Drill - the practicing of tasks and
jobs to improve performance
- Eligible list - a certified list of
persons who have successfully completed the testing process
- Emergency medical technician - a
specified level of medical training that usually consists of
approximately 100 hours of classroom and practical training
- Explorers - a program of the Boy
Scouts of America for persons 15 to 21 years of age; the
Explorers work in conjunction with a professional organization
such as the fire or police department to learn the operation and
job requirements
- Freelance - the act of performing
operations without a coordinated effort or the knowledge of
one's superior officer
- Generalist - a person with general
knowledge of no great depth in many subject areas
- Manipulative training - training in
the operation of tools and equipment
- Mechanical aptitude - the ability to
figure out the operation and construction of equipment from
drawings
- Mentor - a person who guides and
directs toward a goal
- On duty - the time firefighters spend
performing their jobs
- Oral interview panel - an interview
technique in which the interviewers ask questions and evaluate
the answers given by job candidates; they assign a score to the
candidate's responses for ranking purposes during the selection
process
- Paramedic - an advanced level of
medical training; paramedics can perform invasive procedures on
the patient, such as starting intravenous lines
- Probationary firefighter - a person
hired by the fire department who has not been granted permanent
status
- Reserve/cadet program - organized
programs sponsored by paid fire departments that provide
training in return for personnel volunteering their time
- Résumé - a listing of a person's areas
of experience and education
- Specialist - a person with extensive
training in one area of operations or information
- Technical training - training in the
specifications and limitations of equipment or calculation of
information necessary to operate the equipment
- Upper division courses - college-level
courses that are applicable to a degree program for a bachelor's
degree or higher; lower division courses are those taken at the
college level that are either prerequisites for higher levels of
study or are used to receive an associate of arts or sciences
degree
- Veteran's points - points added to a
person's final score on a competitive examination process; given
to persons who have satisfactorily performed military service
- Volunteer firefighting - performing
firefighting services without pay; in some areas a variation of
this is the Paid Call Firefighter program-under this program
firefighters are paid a specified sum when they respond to
incidents or attend training
- Worker's compensation - money paid to
persons who have been injured in the course of their employment
and are unable to work either temporarily or permanently
I. Introduction
A. Fire science curriculum is designed to
produce a student with comprehensive background knowledge in the
technical training for fire suppression and prevention
B. Manipulative training, the actual hands-on
firefighter training, may or may not be included as part of fire
science curriculum
II. Learning Objective 1
Explain the differences between a community
college certificate, an associate degree, and a four-year degree in
fire science.
A. Fire science-related courses
1. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
has a list of schools that offer higher education programs
2. Programs range from the Associate to
the Doctoral level in Emergency Management and Homeland
Security
B. Certificate program
1. Requires the completion of a set number
of accredited core courses and additional specified courses
in the area of general education
2. Attests to the accumulation of a body
of knowledge in the fire science subject area
C. Associate degree in fire science
1. Requires more general education units
to accomplish
2. Some of the courses are transferable to
a four-year college
a. Some core courses may serve as
prerequisites for acceptance and count as credit in an
upper division program
b. Each school differs in its
requirements
c. Meet with a college counselor to
plan a course of action
3. Fire and Emergency Services Higher
Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum core six-course
curriculum for associate degrees
a. Building Construction for Fire
Protection
b. Fire Behavior and Combustion
c. Fire Prevention
d. Fire Protections Systems
e. Principles of Emergency Services
f. Principles of Fire and Emergency
Services Safety and Survival
4. FESHE Model Curriculum noncore courses
a. Introduction to Fire and Emergency
Services Administration
b. Fire Investigation I
c. Fire Investigation II
d. Fire Protection Hydraulics and
Water Supply
e. Hazardous Materials Chemistry
f. Legal Aspects of the Emergency
Services
g. Occupational Health and Safety
h. Strategy and Tactics
D. Bachelor degree program
1. Four-year college degree programs
a. California State University at Los
Angeles
1. Degree in fire protection
administration
b. Oklahoma State University
1. Degree in fire protection and
safety technology
2. Summer internships
c. University of Maryland
1. Degree program in fire
protection engineering
2. FESHE Model Curriculum Degrees at a
Distance Program
a. Analytical Approaches to Public
Fire Protection
b. Applications of Fire Research
c. Community Risk Reduction for the
Fire and Emergency Services
d. Disaster Planning and Control
e. Fire and Emergency Services
Administration
f. Fire Dynamics
g. Fire Investigation and Analysis
h. Fire Prevention Organization and
Management
i. Fire Protection: Structures and
Systems
j. Fire-Related Human Behavior
k. Managerial Issues in Hazardous
Materials
l. Personnel Management for the Fire
and Emergency Services
m. Political and Legal Foundations of
Fire Protection
3. NFSPC Bachelor's Group
a. Issues in Fire/EMS Management
b. Advanced Principles in Fire and
Emergency Services Safety and Survival
III. Learning Objective 2
List the advantages of obtaining a certificate or
degree from a regionally accredited institution.
A. Pursuing higher education in fire
service-related courses
1. Can make you a more effective member of
the fire service community
2. May help you achieve promotions after
you gain employment
3. May have a direct dollar value in the
workplace
a. Some departments offer a pay
incentive for a fire science certificate or degree or
for other specified types of training certification
b. Incentive packages usually range
from 2˝% to 10%
c. Calculated over a 30-year career
and carried over into retirement, this amounts to quite
a bit of money
4. May be a condition for completion of
the probationary period
B. Other college programs
1. Public administration
a. Most fire departments operate as
public agencies governed by local or state government
b. This makes a public administration
educational background vital to the fire executive
c. Master's degree available in public
administration
2. Specialized study
a. Emergency management
b. Risk management
c. Industrial hygiene
d. Law
e. Emergency medicine
f. Chemistry
3. Firefighter certification
a. Alternate and complementary course
of study to the fire science technical education
b. Based on National Fire Protection
Association Standard 1001, Fire Fighter Professional
Qualifications
c. Primarily manipulative in nature
with technical instruction where necessary
d. Includes instruction in fire
behavior, fire extinguishers, self-contained breathing
apparatus, ropes and knots, forcible entry, rescue,
water supply, fire streams, ventilation, salvage and
overhaul, fire cause determination, fire suppression
techniques, automatic sprinklers, and fire prevention
inspection
IV. Learning Objective 3
Describe the availability of on-line fire science
programs and training.
A. On-line programs
1. Are available from numerous community
colleges and schools of higher learning throughout the
country
2. Associate's through master's degrees
may be earned in these programs
B. Advantages
1. Student does not need to live in close
proximity to the school being attended to complete the
courses
2. Firefighters with a set duty schedule
may not be off duty on the days that the course is taught in
a traditional classroom setting
C. Examples
1. NIMS courses offered by FEMA through
the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in an on-line
format
a. IS-100.a-Introduction to the
Incident Command System (ICS)
b. IS-200.a-ICS for Single Resources
and Initial Action Incidents
c. IS-700.a-National Incident
Management Systems (NIMS), an Introduction
2. Northwood University in Michigan
a. Offers a distance/on-line
accredited bachelor's degree program in fire service
management
b. Grants credit for training
certifications and life-long experience
3. International Association of Fire
Fighters Virtual Academy
a. Offers distance learning or
extended university programs
b. Allows students to complete their
coursework from locations away from the college campus
V. Learning Objective 4
Assess your career potential in the fire service.
A. Becoming a firefighter
1. You must be a person of the highest
moral and ethical character
2. You represent one of the proudest
professions there is
3. You represent hundreds of years of
tradition of selfless service and sacrifice
4. You are expected to act at great
personal risk to save the lives and property of others
without seeking recognition or acclaim
B. Expectations of fire department personnel
1. No matter what the disaster, the fire
department is usually there
2. The public expects a high level of
professionalism and competence
3. Some people want to become firefighters
because they see it as their chance to become a hero
a. Seeking this career for the
singular purpose of becoming a hero is misguided
b. There are few opportunities to
become a hero
c. Firefighting is not about being a
hero but rather doing your best to save lives and
property
4. Firefighting entails a certain amount
of danger and excitement
a. Over 100 firefighters a year give
their lives in the line of duty
b. Not a profession for those who
disregard their own safety or the safety of others
c. Requires long hours of drill and
study to master tasks you are expected to perform, often
in extremely stressful situations
d. Must be willing to perform the
preparation before you can perform the job
e. Training never ends
5. Firefighters suffer the same ills and
problems as the rest of society
a. Divorce rate among firefighters is
high
b. Alcoholism and drug abuse occur
c. Co-workers are like extended
family, and what affects one affects all
6. Firefighters must show compassion and
become skilled in dealing with people at the worst times in
their lives
a. At accident scenes when loved ones
have been killed or seriously injured
b. At fires and other incidents of
devastating loss
c. Must be able to deal with the
injury and deaths of people of all ages under horrible
conditions
C. Employee assistance programs
1. Allow firefighters to talk
confidentially with a counselor
2. Can be used when they are having stress
problems at work or home
3. Available for alcohol and drug abuse
treatment
4. Critical incident stress debriefings
a. Introduced to help firefighters
cope with particularly bad incidents
D. Firefighters as team members
1. Must be willing to give up personal
desires to benefit the team
2. No one can perform the job alone
3. The whole team needs to pitch in and
help until the work is done.
E. Career-long commitment to physical fitness
1. In 2008, 45 of the 118 firefighters who
died while on duty fell victim to sudden cardiac death
(heart attack)
2. You must be able to carry your share of
the load in a physically demanding profession
3. Being out of shape not only endangers
you, but also your co-workers and the public
F. Changing role of the fire service
1. Firefighters used to control and
extinguish hostile fires
2. Now the fire service provides many
other services
a. Emergency medical service
b. Fire prevention
c. Hazardous materials
d. Search and rescue
e. Homeland security
3. A modern firefighter is expected to be
an educator as well as a technician
4. Firefighters use time off to
participate in community programs
VI. Learning Objectives 5 and 6
Give examples of work ethics and explain the need
for sensitivity to diversity inside and outside of the workplace.
A. Human relations and work ethics
1. Must be prepared to deal with diversity
in the workplace
a. Formerly excluded, now women and
minorities make up a large part of the force
2. Affirmative action programs and equal
opportunity employment laws
a. Prohibit discrimination based on
race, national origin, sex, age, physical disability,
color, medical condition, marital status, ancestry, or
union activity
b. Exception where age, sex, or
physical requirements constitute a bona fide
occupational requirement
3. No tolerance for harassment
a. Sensitivity must be shown to all
groups at the station and on the scene of an emergency
b. All customers deserve to be treated
with dignity and respect and provided the full benefit
of your best efforts
B. Firefighter attributes
1. Loyalty
a. Sticking by your fellow
firefighters through good times and bad
b. Not bad-mouthing your superiors,
subordinates, or co-workers
2. Dedication
a. Be the first one to volunteer for
the dirty jobs
b. Constantly strive to be the best
firefighter you can be
3. Accepting hardship without complaint
a. When the alarm sounds, the
firefighter goes to work
b. Long hours under stressful and
often extremely tough conditions are included in the job
4. Being able to follow orders
a. On the fire ground is no time to
argue with your officer or to freelance
b. Around the station many orders are
stated as requests: this does not mean that they can be
ignored
5. Ability and willingness to learn
a. Fire suppression and prevention is
dynamic and ever changing
b. Fire department has an
ever-expanding role in providing service to the
community
c. Major changes have come about in
the types of hazards encountered and how they are
handled
d. The equipment available has also
changed at a rapid rate
6. Willing to accept personal
responsibility
a. When given a job, it is your
responsibility to complete it, not someone else's
b. You should not have to be closely
supervised once you are trained to perform the required
job
c. If you are unable to complete the
assigned task by yourself, seek help or advise your
supervisor
7. Having a positive safety attitude
a. Firefighting is inherently
dangerous
b. With a proper safety attitude, you
can do your best to avoid serious injury and death while
still performing your job aggressively
VII. Learning Objective 7
Describe the different levels and availability of
training programs.
A. Pre-service training programs in
manipulative skills
1. Available through the following:
a. Explorers
b. Volunteer firefighting
c. Reserve/cadet program
d. National Junior Firefighter Program
e. Colleges and training associations
2. Goal of these programs is to teach the
actual skills necessary for a firefighter to perform on the
fire ground
3. Teach skills in handling ladders, fire
extinguishers, salvage equipment, SCBA, and hose lays
4. Medical training
a. EMT training or paramedic training
can be a benefit when seeking employment
5. Some programs are sponsored by
individual fire departments, associations, or professional
groups, with college credit issued
a. Generally requires attendance on
own time at your expense
b. Often incentives offered in the way
of special treatment in the hiring process
c. May be used to establish a direct
hiring pool for the department(s) involved
B. In-service training programs
1. Developed to train active
firefighters
2. Start with the academy and move on
to the station, battalion, department, area, state, and
national levels
3. Often require department-sponsored
attendance due to worker's compensation coverage
C. Academy training program
1. First level of training for newly
hired firefighters
a. To train in department
equipment and methods
b. Provide courses required by law
c. To observe the new
firefighter's physical and mental performance
2. Evaluated on performance on written
tests and during drills
a. If new firefighters do not
measure up to department standards, they are
dismissed
b. This time can be very stressful
for new firefighters
c. A great amount of homework and
studying is required to perform well on the written
exams
D. Technical training programs
1. Numerous schools offer technical
training programs
2. National Fire Academy and the
Emergency Management Institute
a. Courses year-round at the
facility in Emmitsburg, Maryland
b. Instructors from all over the
country to present the widest viewpoint and give
national appeal
c. Instructors recognized as
experts in their fields
d. No tuition, but students must
be sponsored by their department and be accepted
after filing an application
VIII. Learning Objective 8
Give examples of different types of personnel
development programs.
A. Personnel development program
1. Develop an understanding of how the
department works and to prepare the leaders of tomorrow
2. A firefighter is trained as high as two
ranks above the one currently held
3. Students may be assigned a mentor
a. Aids in goal setting
b. Helps monitor progress
c. Assists as necessary
B. Generalists to specialists with personnel
development
1. Modern firefighters must be generalists
a. Able to perform many firefighting
functions
2. Firefighters may become specialists in
one or more areas of fire department operations
a. Have extensive training in one area
of operations
IX. Learning Objectives 9 and 10
List the steps in the selection process and
important aspects of each. List ways you can prepare for the
selection process.
A. Selection process steps
1. Recruitment/application
a. Fire departments are looking for
the most qualified applicants
b. Candidates currently in or who have
completed fire science programs have already shown an
interest in a fire department career
c. Most fire departments have
prerequisites for application
d. Administering examinations is time
consuming and expensive, so applications must be limited
e. Find out when the application will
be available, and when it must be completed and returned
f. Make a copy of the application and
use the copy for practice
g. Ask if there are any supplemental
materials with the application
h. Information in the job announcement
will assist you in filling out the application
i. Spelling and grammar are important
j. The best, and only way, a job
application should be turned in is typed
2. Written examination
a. Designed to test the candidates'
ability to learn firefighting procedures and techniques
b. Evaluates candidate in several
areas
1. Mechanical aptitude
2. General intelligence
3. Mathematical ability
4. Behavioral reactions to given
situations or events
5. Mental alertness
6. Adaptability to the work of
firefighting
7. Ability to understand orders
and written material (reading comprehension)
c. Several resources are available in
preparing for the written exam
1. Firefighter exam preparation
texts
2. Videos
3. Firefighter manuals
3. Skills test
a. Not used by all departments
b. Simulates real-life occurrences
likely to be encountered on the job
4. Oral examination/interview
a. Interview with the oral interview
panel
b. Designed to evaluate education and
work experience and to measure personal attributes
1. Ability to act under stress
2. Ability to accept authority
3. Ability to get along with
fellow firefighters
4. Ability to deal with the public
5. Motivation to be a firefighter
c. Punctuality and appearance are
important
d. Project an image of self-confidence
e. Avoid distracting mannerisms
f. Prepare by assessing your delivery
5. Physical agility/ability
a. Judge the candidates' overall
physical conditioning and ability to perform
firefighting-related tasks
b. Expensive and time consuming to
administer
c. Consists primarily of climbing,
hoisting, carrying, lifting, and dragging
d. Preparation is important
e. Firefighter Combat Challenge
developed by ARA/Human Factors, Inc.
1. Perform the test wearing full
turnout gear while breathing SBCA
f. Work capacity test for federal
wildland firefighters
1. For positions requiring an
arduous fitness level
6. Background check
a. Comprehensive check of the
prospective employee's background
b. Review of the application for
errors and omissions
c. Personal information check
d. A fingerprint check
e. Possible polygraph examination
f. Review of social networking sites
g. Inquiry of relatives, employers,
roommates, current and former spouses, and references
h. Verify that all of the information
presented on the personal information questionnaire is
correct
7. Final oral examination
a. Conducted by the fire chief or
designated representative(s)
b. Takes place when your name appears
within the top positions on the eligible list
c. Stay alert and pay attention
d. May make the difference in whether
you get hired or not
8. Medical examination
a. May include drug screening
b. Given by a physician appointed by
the department
c. Determines if applicant has
prescribed standards of physical health and physique
required for the position
9. Probationary period
a. Last step in the selection process
X. Learning Objective 11
Explain the purpose and importance of the
probationary period.
A. Probationary period
1. Academy program can be considered a
part of the probationary period
2. After academy, the firefighter goes to
an assignment at a fire station
3. May last up to 12 months because a
firefighter working a 24-hour shift schedule works only an
average of 10 days a month
B. Probationary firefighters
1. Expected to perform independent study
to learn the required departmental policies and procedures
2. May not have full civil service
protection of their employment
3. May be removed if firefighter cannot
adjust or is found to be unable to perform duties
4. May be a comprehensive combination
written/manipulative test at the end of the probationary
period
XI. Learning Objective 12
Identify the steps in setting SMART goals.
A. Setting goals
1. Clearly define what your goals are
2. Create a road map to success with a
well-defined destination
3. Planning and working hard are required
B. Goal setting with SMART
1. Simple
2. Measurable
3. Accountable
4. Realistic
5. Timely
C. Goals are accomplished in three steps
1. Visualize the goals
2. Clearly define the goals and write them
down
3. Take the actions required to achieve
them
XII. Summary
- The process of becoming a firefighter starts,
for many people, by seeking an education in the fire science
field
- The prospective firefighter must prepare for
all the areas of the selection process
- Be properly prepared for all phases, and
remember: if you do not think you are the best person for the
job, neither will anyone else
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