Fire Chief

Have you ever had to re-take a course because it wasn’t accepted when you changed schools or moved? Have you ever thought about going back for a degree or earning an advanced degree and wondered if that move was compatible with your career goals?

A decade ago, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy saw a lack of consistency among states, training facilities, and colleges and universities in their fire and emergency service curriculum and course guidelines. In 1998, the NFA invited a group of fire science coordinators to discuss the interrelationship of fire science programs and higher education. The result of that meeting was the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education program, a network of post-secondary institutions with degree programs in fire, life-safety and emergency response that assists in establishing relationships between degrees and certifications.

One of FESHE’s goals is to develop consistency among institutions’ courses and curriculum, according to Ed Kaplan, the education program specialist for the USFA/NFA and point person for FESHE. Kaplan explained that each state frequently has its own set of requirements or qualifications for levels of fire and EMS personnel. “Even consistency in course titles would have a tremendous impact,” he said.

Another goal is to create a national model for an integrated, progressive system of higher education “so that an associate’s degree is feeding into bachelor’s [of science],” Kaplan said. In 2001, FESHE was instrumental in convincing major textbook publishers to agree to write textbooks that match the outlines of the National Fire Science Curriculum Committee’s Model Curriculum.

“Just like radios and hoses need to connect, so do the intricacies of training and education,” said Kaplan. While nothing is mandated, Kaplan added, “Our goal is to be holistic. Firefighter I requires eight hours of fire behavior; that’s all you get before you move on. If we add fire, burn and combustion, [students] learn the chemistries. And that makes a better firefighter — if they understand the symptoms of flashover.”

Kaplan recommended that anyone pursuing higher education in the emergency services should have a copy of the IAFC Officer Development Handbook developed by the IAFC’s Professional Development Committee. At $15, the handbook is an excellent guideline on professional development for a fire officer, and proceeds support the IAFC Foundation scholarship program. Even if you currently don’t aspire to be an officer, it’s worth having the book to guide you to classes that will count as credits.

Kaplan offered further suggestions:

1. Go to the FESHE Web page and learn what’s happening in fire and emergency service education and professional development.


2. If you are in a fire science–degree program either as a faculty member, student or advisory committee member, ask the program coordinator if the program has lined up with the national FESHE model fire science curriculum. If not, ask why and encourage the coordinator to do so.


3. Get the first or next degree you are lacking.


4. Partner your fire department programs with the FESHE degree programs to provide your personnel with a standardized education that’s national in scope and supported by colleges and universities around the country, all the major textbook publishers, and growing numbers of state and local fire service agencies.

Consistency in training and education just might reduce the risk of hiring a firefighter or promoting an officer who is not qualified or capable. It might even prevent firefighter injuries and fatalities.

Now that’s progress.