Fire Prevention Inspector

The Fire Prevention Inspector program is based on the six core curses of the Uniform Fire Technology curriculum as approved by the State Board of Fire Services and the California Fire Chiefs Association.  The core courses align with the California C-ID program and the National Fire Academy Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE Model Curriculum: Associate's (Core).  Additionally, the Fire Prevention Inspector Program offers general courses in applied physics and chemistry, as well as specialized courses in fire prevention, fire inspection, public safety, building construction, and fire protection system design.

Students currently enrolled in the Fire Technology Degree program are also seeking to complete the Fire Prevention Inspector Degree program.  Many can complete the Prevention Inspector Degree path before the Fire Technology Program.  We anticipate 4 to 10 completers per year.

Upon completion of the Chabot Fire Prevention InspectorProgram, the student will be able to:

1.    identify and comprehend laws, regulations, codes, and standards that influence fire department operations, and identify regulatory and advisory organizations that create and mandate them, especially in the areas of fire prevention, building codes and ordinances, and firefighter health and safety.

2.    perform basic fire inspector tasks involving report writing, building inspection, code compliance, records management and measurements and calculations as they relate to the InternationalFire and Building Codes, California edition.

3.    analyze the effects of fire on the environment and relate how the efforts of modern-day fire prevention technology, fire protection equipment, and systems, and building construction for fire protection contribute to the protection of society against unwanted fire.

4.    identify and describe common types of building construction and conditions associated with structural collapse and firefighter safety.

The fire service is one of the most dynamic employers in the country. The Fire Prevention Inspector program supports an underserved market of code compliance fire inspector positions needed in each fire service agency throughout the region.  The program is appropriate for anyone interested in emergency services with a focus on fire inspection practices relevant to the California Building and Fire Codes. Earning a certificate of achievement or degree in fire prevention inspector may improve a candidate's employment prospects in this competitive field, where demand for educated workers is increasing. This associate degree program in fire prevention provides fundamental training in fire safety, fire behavior, fire prevention, protection systems, building construction, and current approaches to minimizing the potential for fire. Students learn about hazards of firefighting, operational characteristics of detection equipment, clues that reveal the sources or causes of fires, prevention planning, and field inspection practices.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
Fire Technology 1	Principles of Emergency Services	3	Y1
Fire Technology 2	Principles of Fire and Emergency Services Safety and Survival	3	Y1
Fire Technology 3	Fire Behavior and Combustion	3	Y1
Fire Technology 4	Fire Prevention	3	Y1
Fire Technology 5	Fire Protection Systems	3	Y1
Fire Technology 6	Building Construction for Fire Protection	3	Y1
Business 14	Business Communications	3	Y1
Business 22	Introduction to Management	3	Y1
Industrial Technology 74	Measurements and Calculations	3	Y1

Chabot College has offered the six core courses for Fire Technology, along with the Business and Industrial Technology courses, for the past decade or more. The goal of bringing these courses together was to better prepare students for Fire Prevention Inspector positions in local area fire prevention bureaus. This proposal is to formally offer a Certificate of Achievement and AS Degree opportunity for those who wish to serve in code compliance positions within public agencies for the reduction of fire hazards within the communities served.

Las Positas College (LPC), sister college to Chabot, posted a similar Certificate of Achievement with the same 6 core fire courses, but not an AS Degree option. Other Fire Technology programs in the region offer the same core courses, but not the Fire Prevention Inspector Certificate and AS Degree. Fire Technology representatives from City College of San Francisco (Jim Connors), College of San Mateo (Christy Baird), Los Medanos College (Rick Hurtado), Las Positas College (German Sierra), and Merritt College (Demond Simmons) were advised of Chabot College's interest to formally pursue this Certificate of Achievement and AS Degree during the Public Safety Regional Joint Venture meeting in Spring 2019 at LPC. All representatives stated support for the Certificate and Degree options to be offered by Chabot College.