Untitled document
I. Fire Science Education and the Firefighter Selection Process
A. Difference between training and education
B. College fire science programs
1. Associate degree programs
2. Certificates
3. Baccalaureate degree programs
4. On-line programs
5. Master's degree programs
C. Federal, State and local Fire Training programs
D. Assessing your career potential
E. Human relation and work ethic
F. Firefighter selection process
1. Recruitment process
2. Application process
3. Written examination
4. Skills testing
5. Oral examination
6. Physical agility testing
7. Psychological testing
8. Background examination
9. Final interview
10. Medical examination
11. Probationary period
II. Fire Service Careers
A. Entry level public careers
1. Firefighter
2. Firefighter/paramedic
3. Wildland firefighter
4. Fire heavy equipment operator
B. Civilian positions
1. Fire Prevention Specialist
2. Hazardous Materials Program Specialist
3. Fire Safety/Public Education Specialist
4. Dispatcher
5. Emergency Services Manager
C. Private careers
1. Firefighter
2. Loss prevention specialist
3. Inspector
4. Claims adjuster
5. Investigator
6. Fire protection engineer
7. Fire sprinkler fitter
III. Public Fire Protection
A. The evolution of fire protection efforts
B. The history of wildland fire in America
C. The evolution of modern firefighting equipment
D. Fire service symbols
E. The evolution of fire stations
F. The effect of major fire losses on fire science
G. The U.S. fire problem
H. Purpose and scope of fire agencies
I. The future of fire protection
IV. Chemistry and the Physics of Fire
A. The fire triangle and tetrahedron
B. The relationship of fuels and oxidizers in fire chemistry
C. Physics of fire and the three states of matter
D. The effect of heat and temperature
E. Methods of heat transfer
1. Radiation
2. Convection
3. Conduction
4. Direct contact
F. Classifications of fire
1. Ordinary combustibles
2. Flammable liquids
3. Electrical equipment
4. Combustible metals
5. Combustible cooking
G. Stages of fire
1. Incipient
2. Free burning
3. Flashover
4. Smoldering/decay
V. Public and Private Support Organizations
A. National and international support organizations
1. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
2. Hazardous Materials Transportation and Storage organizations
a. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
b. Association of American Railroads
c. American Petroleum Institute
d. Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC)
3. Fire protection systems and equipment organizations
a. American Fire Sprinkler Association
b. Factory Mutual Global
c. National Fire Sprinkler Association
4. Codes and standards organizations
a. American National Standards Institute
b. International Conference of Building Officials
c. International Fire Code Institute
d. National Safety Council
5. Disaster assistance and recovery organizations
a. American Red Cross
b. Salvation Army
6. Professional accreditation and certification organizations
a. Board of Certified Safety Professionals
b. International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC)
c. National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro-Board)
7. Professional research organizations
a. Society of Fire Protection Engineers
b. Underwriters Laboratories
8. Personnel and training support organizations
a. International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
b. International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
c. National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
d. International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
e. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)
f. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
g. International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
h. International City Manager's Association (ICMA)
9. Insurance Providers - Insurance Service Office (ISO)
10. Emergency medical service organizations
a. International Rescue and Emergency Care Association
b. National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
c. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
B. Federal Organizations
1. Department of Defense
2. Department of Labor
3. Emergency Management Institute
4. National Emergency Training Center
5. National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety
6. National Incident Management System
7. National Integration Center
8. National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST)
9. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
10. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
11. U.S. Department of the Interior
12. National Firefighting Equipment System
13. National Interagency Fire Center
14. Federal Emergency Management Agency
15. National Fire Academy
16. Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Conference (FESHE)
17. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
18. Occupational health and Safety Administration (OSHA)
19. Environmental Protection Agency
20. U.S. Coast Guard
C. State support organizations
1. Office of State Fire Marshal
2. State Fire Training
3. State Emergency Management Agency
4. State Fire Chief's Association
5. State Forestry Departments
6. State Occupational Health Administrations
D. Local support organizations
1. Local government
2. Health departments
3. Law enforcement
4. Building departments
5. Water departments
6. Street departments
7. Zoning/Planning Commission
8. Local Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
9. Firefighter's Unions
VI. Fire Department Resources
A. Fire department facilities
B. Common fire apparatus
C. Fire department tools and appliances
D. Heavy tools and equipment
E. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
F. Firefighting aircraft
VII. Fire Department Administration
A. The six principles of command
1. Unity of command
2. Chain of command
3. Span of control
4. Division of labor
5. Delegation of authority
6. Exception principle
B. The six components of the management cycle
1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Staffing
4. Directing
5. Controlling
6. Evaluating
C. Different types of fire departments
D. Four methods of communication
1. Face-to-face
2. Radio/telephone
3. Written
4. Electronic
VIII. Support Functions
A. The role of dispatch
B. Transmission of alarms
C. Fire investigation units
D. Hazardous materials units
E. Role of aides or adjutants
F. Technical support units
1. Legal services
2. Investigation units
3. Weather services
4. Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
G. Information systems
H. Human resources
I. Business services
J. Central stores
K. Repair garage
L. Radio shop
IX. Training
A. Training bureau positions
B. Value of inter-agency training
C. Training facilities
D. Differences between technical and manipulative training
E. Determining performance standards and adequate levels of training
F. Use of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) in training
G. Importance of maintaining training records
H. The relationship of training to incident effectiveness
I. Required training
J. Safety practices when training
X. Fire Prevention
A. Roles played of a fire prevention bureau
B. Implementing fire prevention activities
C. Fire prevention methods
D. Importance of fire information reporting
XI. Codes and Ordinances
A. Types of laws in the United States
B. The court system
C. Handling personnel complaints
D. Legal components of fire prevention activities
E. The code development process
F. Legal considerations at emergency incidents
XII. Fire Protection Systems and Equipment
A. Components of a public and private water system
B. Importance of a dependable water system
C. Components of a fire department water supply program
D. Fire detection systems and their components
E. Fire extinguishing agents
F. Fire extinguishing systems and their components
XIII. Emergency Incident Management
A. Responsibility for management at an emergency scene
B. The need for an action plan at every incident
C. The five major components of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
D. The components of the Incident Command System (ICS)
E. ICS positions and their functions
XIV. Emergency Operations
A. Personnel who work at emergency scenes
B. The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
C. Considerations when working at a structure fire
D. Considerations when working at a wildland fire
E. Considerations when working at an electrical fire
F. Considerations when working at a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire
G. Considerations when working at a flammable liquid fire
H. Considerations when working at a hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction incident
I. Considerations when working at vehicle/highway incidents
J. Considerations when working at an aircraft fire
K. Considerations when working at a technical rescue incident
L. Decision making skills and their relation to incident safety