12/27/2024 8:55:58 AM	ADED 748.3 Course Outline as of Summer 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ADED 748.3	Title:  FIRE RESIL LANDSC
Full Title:  Fire Resilient Landscaping
Last Reviewed:3/14/2022

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	0	Lecture Scheduled	0		13 max.	Lecture Scheduled	0
Minimum	0	Lab Scheduled	2.00		2 min.	Lab Scheduled	26.00
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	2.00			Contact Total	26.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  0.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 26.00

Title 5 Category:  Non-Credit
Grading:  Non-Credit Course
Repeatability:  27 - Exempt From Repeat Provisions
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  ADLTED 748.3

Catalog Description:

In this course, students will be introduced to residential and commercial landscape and building maintenance practices that reduce risk of structure loss during wildfire and guide safe and effective post-fire mitigation and clean-up. Students will learn principles for fire risk reduction; structure hardening; defensible space; safe and proper use of appropriate tools and equipment; considerations for worker safety and worker rights; relevant laws and regulations; and appropriate prioritization and execution of actions to reduce fire risk. Working under the supervision of qualified professionals, students will visit and/or perform work at selected site(s) as appropriate.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Course Completion of ADED 740 ( or ADLTED 740)

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students will be introduced to residential and commercial landscape and building maintenance practices that reduce risk of structure loss during wildfire and guide safe and effective post-fire mitigation and clean-up. Students will learn principles for fire risk reduction; structure hardening; defensible space; safe and proper use of appropriate tools and equipment; considerations for worker safety and worker rights; relevant laws and regulations; and appropriate prioritization and execution of actions to reduce fire risk. Working under the supervision of qualified professionals, students will visit and/or perform work at selected site(s) as appropriate.

(Non-Credit Course)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Course Completion of ADED 740 ( or ADLTED 740)
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:27 - Exempt From Repeat Provisions

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Certificate Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Execute a variety of fire risk reduction and mitigation activities using appropriate tools and techniques.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Explain how buildings ignite during a wildfire.

2. Discuss the prioritization and importance of various structure hardening and defensible space activities.

3. Safely perform a variety of fire risk reduction and mitigation activities using appropriate tools and techniques.

Topics and Scope

I. Course Introduction

    A. How buildings ignite during wildfire

    B. Three principles for fire risk reduction

II. Terminology, Laws, and Regulations

    A. Terminology

         1. Noncombustible

         2. Ignition-resistant

         3. Combustible

         4. Flammable

         5. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

    B. Fire standards and building code

         1. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

         2. California Building Code (CBC)

          3. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

         4. Local and Regional Codes and Ordinances

         5. California contractor law and insurance requirements

III. Fire risk and risk reduction techniques for homes and structures

    A. Combustible materials

    B. Noncombustible materials

    C. Vulnerable building components and techniques to reduce vulnerability

IV. Fire risk and risk reduction techniques in the landscape

    A. Defensible space

         1. Concept

         2. Goals

    B. Implementation of defensible space strategy

         1. Zones Zero, One, and Two

         2. Considerations for balancing landscape design with defensible space

     C. "Fire Safe" Plants and landscaping

         1. The problem with plant lists

         2. General plant characteristics related to combustibility

         3. Plant placement and maintenance

         4. Pruning methods and their effect on plant health

    D. Landscape structures and accessories

V. Post-fire clean up

    A. Legal requirements

    B. Safety considerations

    C. Methods for remediation of non-hazardous ash

    D. Importance of avoiding leaf blowing and other ash disturbance

VI. Tool Use

    A. Function and anatomy of appropriate hand and power tools

    B. Safety considerations

    C. Maintenance and storage

VII. Safe workplace and worker rights

    A. Legal requirements for safety in the workplace

    B. Worker rights

         1. Resources for workers

         2. Worker Organizing

VII. Practicum Including Safety Principles

Assignments:

1. Individual, group and/or team site fire risk assessment exercises (4-6)

2. Individual, group and/or team practice exercises using appropriate tools to perform fire risk reduction activities (4-6)

3. Tool identification, safe use, and maintenance exercise (2-4)

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 0 - 0%
None
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 20 - 30%
Site fire risk assessment exercises
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 20 - 30%
Fire risk reduction activities; tool identification, safe use, and maintenance exercises
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 0 - 0%
None
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 40 - 50%
Active participation and attendance

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

California Wildfire Retrofit Guide. Firesafe Marin and Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. PDF. 2021.

Reducing Wildfire in the Home Ignition Zone. National Fire Prevention Association. PDF. No date.

Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with a Fire-Resistant Landscape, 2nd Ed. Douglas Kent. Print. 2019.

 

Instructor and department prepared materials

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