Program Statement

The mission of the Fire Science program is to provide safe, progressive, and standards-based firefighting education and training to future and current fire and emergency services personnel.

The Fire Science program values diversity, including diversity of thought, understanding that populations are best served when fire and emergency services organizations reflect the diversity of the community.

The Fire Science program is concerned with developing leadership and followership skill and ability, providing students with principles to lead positive change in fire and emergency services. Nationally, fire and emergency service organizations are facing unprecedented challenges. As such, Fire Science students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively about solving problems.  Students will be challenged to think from divergent and contrarian perspectives.

Healthy fire and emergency services personnel are essential to community safety. A strong emphasis on firefighter resilience and community resilience are benchmarks of the Fire Science program.  Ultimately, students in the Fire Science program will gain a broad educational background in fire and emergency services, preparing them for several points of entry in the fire and emergency services fields. Current fire and emergency services personnel will enhance their knowledge, skill, and ability and will be prepared for promotional opportunities and leading crews safely.

Fire Science Program Outcomes

At the completion of the two-year ASFS degree, students will be able to:

PO1: Demonstrate select firefighter skills safely in compliance with National Fire Protection Association 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications.

PO2: Demonstrate select apparatus operator skills safely in compliance with NFPA 1002 Standard for Fire Apparatus Pumper/Operator Professional Qualifications.

PO3: Comprehend and demonstrate a variety of leadership, human interaction and communication skills and perform with those skills in a fire officer and incident comand role.

PO4: Identify and understand aspects of fire prevention and fire protection, what legal roles they play in the fire service, and how public and firefighter education is acheived.

PO5: Understand firefighter safety and  resiliency. Compile a portfolio of mental and physical skills to handle firefighter stress and risk.

Methods of Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used to determine student achievement in program outcomes.  Methods include:

  • Students complete the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) skills-based scoring rubrics.  Examples include donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) and donning self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for time.  
  • Students complete online national certificates, such as the National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100, 200, 700, and 800 certificates. 
  • Students complete and present leadership and resilience portfolios. 
  • Students complete command tactical worksheets with accuracy. 
  • Students deliver lesson plans to fire science students and also a fire safety lesson plan to elementary students. 
  • Students analyze and report on case studies, specifically firefighter fatality reports from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 
  • Students build a Palmer Dollhouse to burn, analyzing fire behavior and fire dynamics. 
  • Students participate in a live, wildland fire training and are scored using National Wildland Coordinating Group rubrics. 
  • The Fire Science program advisory committee, comprised of local industry professionals, provide qualitative input into student achievement in demonstrating program outcomes. 
  • Employer surveys are delivered once annually to ascertain qualitative aspect of program outcome achievement. 
  • Students complete an end-of-semester Hazardous Materials mitigation scenario using an industry-specific scoring rubric for evaluation. 
  • Students participate in volunteer service learning opportunities and  Firefighter I Taskbooks (NFPA standards). 
  • Students complete end of semester course evaluations documenting the subjective (qualitative) evaluation of program outcome achievement. 
  • Students participate in traditional academic evaluation and assessment throughout the Fire Science program including quizzes, written examinations, essays, demonstrations, discussion, mid-term, and final examinations.