Firefighter I Academy Certificate Public Safety Total Units: 16.5

Term Effective: Fall 2015

The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.

Term Inactive: Fall 2018

Previous Versions:

Firefighter I Academy - effective Fall 1981

Description:

The firefighter I Academy Skills Certificate is intended for pre-Fire Service students and Fire Service professionals (volunteer and paid fire fighters) to train in an accepted State curriculum, and as an Accredited Regional Training Program, the Academy is certified by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition to the Academy completion certificate, candidates will need to complete field experience (1 year volunteer or 6 months fulltime) in order to obtain their Firefighter I certificate.

The academy includes over 481 hours of instruction and basic firefighting skills needed for the entry level professional firefighter to perform his/her duties safely, effectively, and competently. The curriculum is based on the 2013 edition of NFPA 1001, Standards for Firefighter Professional Qualifications, the 2012 edition of NFPA 1051, Standards for Wildland Firefighter Professional Qualifications, and the 2008 edition of NFPA 472, Standards for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents. The seven overarching themes of the California State Firefighter I curriculum are: general knowledge germane to the profession, fire department communication, fire ground operations, rescue operations, preparedness and maintenance, wildland suppression activities, and hazardous materials/WMD.

In addition to the curriculum identified in these standards, students receive additional instruction in the areas of Auto extrication, the Incident Command System (ICS), Low Angle Rope Rescue Operations (LARRO), an expanded Wildland Firefighting component that meets the requirements necessary to obtain a Cal Fire Basic Firefighter Certificate, Confined Space Awareness and a rigorous physical training component.

The Firefighter I Academy does not include emergency medical care skills that are required to work as a firefighter. Prior to enrolling in the academy, students must complete EMT (EMC 105) or First Responder (EMC 100).

For students interested in an Associate degree, a Fire Technology major is also available.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Describe fire department organization and the expectations of entry level firefighters;
  2. differentiate types of fire behavior and its impact on structural and wildland situations;
  3. demonstrate and apply the use of fire department equipment through its selection for given firefighting tasks;
  4. demonstrate and apply knowledge of strategies, tactics and incident command through the selection and implementation of firefighting methods and the application of the Incident Command System (ICS); and
  5. demonstrate safe practices by using minimum standard safety procedures .

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Firefighter I Academy program are:

  • Complete 16.5 units from
    • Firefighter I Academy Requirements

Firefighter I Academy Requirements - complete 16.50 units
FIRE 208Introduction to Firefighter I Academy1.50
FIRE 208.1Firefighter I Academy15.00

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 836-2913
rcollins@santarosa.edu