4/19/2024 8:15:00 AM	NRM 72 Course Outline as of Spring 2016	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  NRM 72	Title:  FIRE CNTROL/ITS USE
Full Title:  Forest Fire Control and Its Use
Last Reviewed:1/25/2021

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  FOR 72

Catalog Description:

Principles of fire behavior, control and prevention for natural resource managers and first responders. Also covers the prescribed use of fire in natural resource management applications (fuel reduction, invasive species control, etc).

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Principles of fire behavior, control and prevention for natural resource managers and first responders. Also covers the prescribed use of fire in natural resource management applications (fuel reduction, invasive species control, etc).

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

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

1.  Summarize the factors that influence fire behavior.

2.  Distinguish among wildland fire behaviors as they relate to environmental factors.

3.  Propose ways to use fire in silviculture practices to improve forest and range lands.

 

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

 

1. Compare alternative fire fighting actions and their influences on fire behavior.

2. Implement fire standards for firefighter safety.

3. Evaluate the I.C.S (Incident Command System) organizational structure and chain of command in emergency situations and explain their role in the overall context of wildland fire suppression.

4. Differentiate among types of firefighting equipment and determine when each should be used.

5. Compare and contrast the different methods of attacking a forest fire.

6. Apply the ten standard fire-fighting rules.

7. Describe the use of hand tools, chain saws, and other firefighting equipment and outline standard procedures for operating around bulldozers, helicopters, and fixed wing aircraft.

8. Describe the safe use of chain saws and related equipment as it concerns felling, limbing, and bucking operations.

9. Identify the basic components of power saws and troubleshoot to determine malfunctions.

Topics and Scope

I.  Introduction

 A. History of wildland fire technology/suppression

 B. Fire terminology

 C. Wildland firefighting agencies

II. Fire Physics

 A. Fire behavior

 B. Fuels

 C. Weather

   1. basic principles

   2.  temperature

   3.  atmospheric moisture

   4.  atmospheric stability

   5.  wind

   6.  thunderstorms

 D. Topography

III.  Fire Suppression and Firefighter Safety

 A. Fire line safety and fire shelters

 B. Fire standards

 C. Fire line construction and safety

 D. Mop-up techniques and safety

IV. Fire Tools

 A. Tools and apparatus

   1. tool safety

   2. maintenance

 B. Chain saws and crosscut saws

   1. safety

   2. operation

   3. techniques

     a. felling

     b. limbing

     c. bucking

   4. maintenance and troubleshooting

V. Air Operations

 A. Helicopter procedures and safety

 B. Fixed wing aircraft procedures and safety

VI. Regulations

 A. I.C.S. (Incident Command System)

 B. Chain of command

 C. Sexual harassment

VII. Field Skills

 A. Field conduct

 B. Woodsmanship

 C. Field performance

 D. Line construction

 E. Power saws

VIII. Fire Use

 A. Silviculture practices

 B. Improving forest and range lands

 C. Native American use of fire for land management

Assignments:

Representative assignments:

1. Readings in assigned text(s) 15 - 20 pages per week.

2. Homework, including definitions, short answer, fill-ins.

3. Given fire scenarios, determine first response scenario, with written explanation.

4. Term paper of 5-8 pages on a topic such as organization of federal or state wildland firefighting agencies; history of fire suppression; Native American use of fire; review of a major fire.

5. Oral presentation based on the term paper.

6. Midterm; final exam.

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 20 - 30%
Term paper
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 10 - 20%
Homework problems
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 40 - 60%
Quizzes, midterm, final exam: Multiple choice, completion, short answer
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 15%
Attendance, participation, Oral presentation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Firefighter's Handbook on Wildland Firefighting: Strategy, Tactics and Safety. Teie, William C. Deer Valley Press, 4th Ed., 2006.

Wildland Firefighting: Fire Behavior, Tactics & Command. Perry, Donald G. Fire Publications, Inc., 1990 (classic).

Prescribed Burning in California Wildlands Vegetation Management. Biswell, Harold H. University of California Press: 1999 (classic).

(Textbooks are classics in the field.)

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