Standard

R State Standard £ Institutionally Developed College: n/a

FSC 101- Introduction to the Fire Service
Course Description
This course is a survey of the philosophy and history of Fire Protection, loss of property and life by fire, review of municipal fire defenses and the organization and function of the federal, state, county, city and private fire protection. Includes introduction to: fire technology education and the firefighter selection process; fire protection career opportunities; public fire protection; chemistry and physics of fire; public and private support organizations; fire department resources, fire department administration; support functions; training, fire prevention; codes and ordinances; fire protection systems and equipment; emergency incident management; and emergency operations.
Competency Areas	Hours
Fire Technology Education, the Firefighter Selection Process and Career Opportunities	Class	5
Public Fire Protection	D. Lab	0
Chemistry and Physics of Fire	P. Lab/O.B.I.	0
Public and Private Support Organizations	Credit	5
Fire Department Resources
Fire Department Administration
Support Functions and Training
Fire Prevention/Codes and Ordinances
Fire Protection Systems and Equipment
Emergency Incident Management and Emergency Operations

Prerequisite:	Program admission
Corequisite:	n/a

Course Guide

Competency	After completing this section, the student will be able to:	Hours
		Class	D.Lab	P.Lab/ O.B.I.
Fire Technology Education, Selection Process and Career Opportunities		5	0	0
	List the advantages of obtaining a certificate, diploma or degree.
	Give examples of work ethics.
	List ways to prepare for the selection process.
	Explain the purpose and importance of the probationary period.
	List the duties and requirements of the position of firefighter trainee and firefighter.
	List the duties and requirements of the position of firefighter/paramedic.
	List the duties and requirements of the position of heavy equipment operator.
	Give examples of fire service jobs other than firefighter.
Public Fire Protection		5	0	0
	Identify the origins for modern fire protection.
	Describe the evolution of fire protection.
	Identify U.S. fire problems.
	Describe the evolution of modern firefighting equipment.
	Describe the evolution of protective clothing and equipment.
	List the reasons for fire defense planning.
	Define risk and risk management.
Basic Chemistry and Physics		5	0	0
	Define the difference between the fire triangle and the fire tetrahedron.
	Explain the process of pyrolysis.
	Differentiate heat and temperature.
	Illustrate the hour methods of heat transfer.
	Define the three phases of fire.
Public and Private Support Organizations		5	0	0
	Identify types of support organizations.
	Identify types of support organizations.
	List how these organizations assist the fire service.
	Identify the organization to contact when information regarding a specific subject is required.
Fire Department Resources		5	0	0
	List fire department facilities.
	Describe the purpose of each of the fire department facilities.
	List the types of tools carried on fire apparatus.
	Describe the different types of personal protective equipment used by firefighters.
	Describe the types and uses for aircraft in firefighting.
Fire Department Administration		5	0	0
	Describe the six principles of command.
	Identify the four methods of communications.
	Identify different fire department types.
	Identify the different ranks and their general responsibilities.
	Explain the terms customer service, one department concept, team building and incident effectiveness.
Support Functions and Training		5	0	0
	Identify the support functions required by the fire department.
	Describe the duties and responsibilities of the support functions.
	Explain the need fro the support functions.
	Explain the difference between a managerial support function and a technical support function.
	Identify the personnel and positions that make up a training bureau.
	Explain the difference between technical and manipulative training.
	Explain how skills are developed.
	Explain how training level applies to incident effectiveness.
Fire Prevention/Codes and Ordinances		5	0	0
	Describe the importance of fire prevention.
	List methods of public education as it relates to fire prevention.
	Describe a typical fire prevention bureau organization.
	Describe the importance of fire information reporting.
	List the use of fire related statistics.
	Explain the relationship between federal, state and local regulations.
	Explain why codes and ordinances are created
	Explain the relationship of codes and standards.
	Give the definition of legal terms as they apply to codes and ordinances.
Fire Protection Systems and Equipment		5	0	0
	Describe the components of a water supply system.
	Explain the importance of a dependable water supply system.
	Describe fire detection systems and their components.
	Describe the different types of extinguishing systems and their components.
	Describe the different types of extinguishing agents.
	Explain how the various types of extinguishing agents work.
Emergency Incident Management Emergency Operations		5	0	0
	Explain the need for a plan at every incident.
	Differentiate between the offensive, defensive and combination modes of attack.
	Describe the strategic priorities at an incident.
	Explain the terms strategy, tactics and tasks.
	Explain how size up is performed and what information must be communicated.
	Describe the NIMS Incident Command System.
	Identify the role of the fire department at various types of emergencies.
	List the limitations of the fire department in certain types of emergencies.
	List important safety considerations when operating at different types of emergencies.

Suggested Resources

Media (text/audio/ visual/www/ other)	Author	Title: Subtitle	Edition	Place of Publication	Year	Publisher/Publication	pp.
Text	Klinoff, R.	Introduction to Fire Protection	7^th Ed.			ISBN 076684989
Text		Fire Services Orientation and Terminology	5^th Ed.			Fire Protection Publications
Text	Smoke, C.	Company Officer	2^nd Ed.			Delmar Publishing

Posted: 06/18/08