Entry Level Firefighter

The Fire Protection Technology program offers degrees and certificates in a number of fields associated with the technology of fire protection, rescue, and public safety. The program provides theory and training necessary for successful performance in a variety of settings and positions. Emphasis is placed on modern methods of fire prevention, fire suppression, fire service management, open water lifeguarding, and public safety.

It is highly recommended for Entry Level Firefighter students to concentrate on starting with the EMT certification courses and FIPT 101. Once certified as an EMT, students can choose either the full-time Regional Fire Academy offered at Heartland (January– May) or the Alternate Firefighter 1 academy courses offered in a flexible format on campus. Students attending the Alternative Academy on Campus should take FIPT 150A and 110A during the first 8-week session, FIPT 150B, 150C, 150Dthe second 8-week session, and the FIPT 322B, 324A, 322C, and 323B either during the semester if schedule allows or during Intersession/ Summer. FIPT 381GSkills Review and Certification will be offered during January and June annually. Students who complete the required Fire Academy Training are eligible to participate in the FIPT 381G Skills Review and Certification exam to meet Firefighter I Exam requirements for State Fire Training. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the SFT Firefighter I Exam are eligible for the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC)Seal.

20-25 students are projected to earn the CoA, annually, based on historical data. 

107 students earned this certificate between 2015-16 and 2019-20. 

35-40 students are projected to earn the degree, annually, based on historical data. 

183 students earned this degree between 2015-16 and 2019-20. 

The Fire Protection Technology program offers degrees and certificates in a number of fields associated with the technology of fire protection, rescue, and public safety. The program provides theory and training necessary for successful performance in a variety of settings and positions. Emphasis is placed on modern methods of fire prevention, fire suppression, fire service management, open water lifeguarding, and public safety.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Fire Protection Technology program will be able to:

• Identify minimum qualifications and entry-level skills for firefighter hiring. The student will be able to describe the following elements: application process; written exam process; physical agility exam, oral interview, chief’s interview; background investigation; and firefighter probationary process. Students will identify fire service history, culture and diversity.

• Demonstrate the ability to analyze, appraise and evaluate fire and emergency incidents and identify components of emergency management and fire fighter safety including; Size-up, report on conditions, Incident Command System; RECEO; 10 Standard Firefighting Orders; 18 Situations that Shout “Watch Out “; and common factors associated with injuries and line of duty deaths.

• 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.

• Analyze the causes of fire, determine extinguishing agents and methods, differentiate the stages of the fire and fire development, and compare methods of heat transfer.

• Calculate flow requirements for fire apparatus, diagram a pump and plumbing schematic for fire apparatus, and apply mathematic formulae to hydraulics problems.

• Identify and describe the apparatus used in the fire service, and the equipment and maintenance of fire apparatus and equipment.

• Identify and describe common types of building construction and conditions associated with structural collapse and firefighter safety. • Differentiate between fire detection and fire suppression systems. Students will design and diagram a wet and dry fire protection system, and identify alarm system components and their operations.

The Entry Level Firefighter AS is an existing degree at Miramar College. It is part of the Fire Protection Technology program, which includes a number of other degrees and certificates. The degree is not similar to any other degree offered at Miramar. The proposed revision is not connected to the termination or scaling down of another program or any other change in curriculum.

Overview of Revisions: Adjust degree to meet new state requirements: 1) Replace FIPT 110A with FIPT 150W; 2) Add FIPT 322D to "nontraditional" academy path requirements.

*Some courses may be applied to both major and general education requirements (i.e.“double counting”). Units associated with those courses are subtracted in order to arrive at an accurate calculation of the total units required for the degree.

**Electives as needed to meet the minimum of 60 CSU-transferable units required for the degree.