Mar 28, 2024  
Catalog/Handbook 2020-21 
    
Catalog/Handbook 2020-21 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Fire Science Technology, AS


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Program: AS-25980

The Fire Science Technology Program is designed to allow fire service or fire protection professionals to enhance their technical competencies and prepare for career advancement. The program emphasizes the scientific basis of fire hazards and the control of these hazards, effective operating procedures at fires and other emergencies, and preparation for leadership and managerial positions.

Certain courses in this program require placement at the college level or satisfaction of developmental education requirements in reading, writing, and math.

Note: If a student is not currently a Florida State Certified Firefighter and would like to become one, he or she must earn the State of Florida Firefighter I and II certifications through a state-certified fire academy such as the one at Ridge Technical College, 7700 State Road 544, Winter Haven, FL 33881; telephone: 863.419.3060. The Ridge Center Fire Academy is a separate program from the Polk State Fire Science Technology Program.

As of November 18, 2013, a student must attain State of Florida Firefighter I Certification prior to pursuing the Fire Officer certifications that are part of the articulated credit requirement for this degree. Chart A, Option V: Fire Safety (below) is designed for the student who does not hold the Firefighter I Certification. This option is intended for the individual serving as a risk manager, as a member of safety personnel, a fire marshal, an insurance investigator, or fire engineer, among other specialized positions.

A firefighter who holds out-of-state, national, or military certifications (or who has completed other fire courses) must contact the Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training to ask for an equivalency review to determine what is needed to satisfy or convert these certifications to Florida certifications. For more information, a student should contact the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, 11655 NW Gainesville Rd. Ocala, FL 34482-1486; telephone: 352.369.2800.

Advisory Note: In October 2016, changes to the Fire Course Numbering System of the Fire College Department of Insurance Education (FCDICE) went into effect. Depending on where a course was offered, any 45-hour fire course may have been assigned three different prefixes (i.e., FFP, BFST, and ATPC), by the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training. The course title, four-digit number, and curriculum is same. All fire courses taken previous to this date retain Fire Fighting and Protection (FFP) status.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate is able to:
PLO 1: Demonstrate knowledge in the areas of chemistry of fire, fire behavior, and fire extinguishment theory.           
PLO 2: Distinguish concepts of fire prevention practices, fire protection systems, building construction with relation to fire behavior, and fire inspection practices.
PLO 3: Demonstrate knowledge of fire department organization and procedures, and use fire company managerial concepts and principles that lead to effective supervision and leadership.
PLO 4: Demonstrate knowledge and skills related to classroom instruction, course design, applicable legal/ethical/safety issues, evaluation and management.
PLO 5: Demonstrate knowledge of incident command, hazardous materials and response to terrorism incidents.        
PLO 6: Compare and contrast different firefighting strategies and tactics and display knowledge of fire fighter operational safety practices.
PLO 7: Demonstrate knowledge of legal, ethical, and safety-risk management principles as they relate to a modern, fire organization.
PLO 8: Demonstrate knowledge and skills to detect and determinate the origin and cause of a fire, and the legal guidelines for the fire investigator.

General Education Requirements (18 Credits Required)


Health and Wellness (One Course)


Articulated Credits from Approved Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training Certifications (36 Credits Required)


A student must earn 36 credits for the program core. A minimum of 24 of these credits must come from fire certifications. Credit from all Fire Fighting and Protection (FFP) courses must be validated by earning certification in that field.

Polk State College does not provide direct instruction for any FFP courses. These fire science courses can be taken from a variety of sources, including the Ridge Technical College in Winter Haven. Fire science classes are only articulated into FFP credits at Polk State by attaining Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training certifications as described below (information is available at: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/SFM/BFST). Therefore, no individual courses are accepted by transcript or any other method. This credit articulation is provided at no cost to the student.

Each student must select a program of study from the appropriate chart:

Chart A is for the student who earned the Fire Officer I Certification after November 18, 2013.

Chart B is for the student who earned the Fire Officer I Certification prior to November 18, 2013.

 

CHART A: Fire Officer I Certification earned after November 18, 2013
Options Title of Fire Study Option

Certification Requirements

Fire Officer = FO

credits awarded (credit hours)

Credits from Certifications

Range: 24-36

Additional

Credits

needed **

Option I Fire Supervisor/Fire Safety

FOI (12), FOII(12), Inspector I*(6), and Investigator I* (6)

36 0
Option II Fire Supervisor/Manager

FOI (12) and FOII(12)

24 12
Option III Fire Supervisor/Inspector

FOI (12), FOII(12), and Inspector I*(6)

30 6
Option IV Fire Supervisor/Investigator

FOI (12), FOII(12), and Investigator I (6)

30 6
Option V Fire Safety***

Inspector I (9), Inspector II*(6), and Investigator I (12)

27 9

     * A reduced number of credits are awarded as there are duplicate FFP courses between Investigator I and Inspector I, and Fire Officer I and II, that can only be counted once.

  ** The student can earn the remaining 36 credits required by the program by selecting courses from the list of electives.

 ***This option is for the student who does not hold the Firefighter I Certification. This option is intended for risk managers, safety personnel, fire marshal personnel, insurance investigators, and fire engineers.

  

CHART B: Fire Officer I Certification earned prior to November 18, 2013

Eight

Variations

Certification Requirements

Fire Officer = FO

credits awarded (credit hours)

Credits from Certifications

Range: 24-36

Additional

Credits

needed **

1

FOI (24), Inspector I*(6), and Investigator I* (6)

36 0
2

FOI (24)

24 12
3

FOI (24) and FOII*(new)(3)

27 9
4

FOI (24) and FOII (old)(12)

36 0
5

FOI (24) and Inspector I*(6)

30 6
6

FOI (24) and Investigator I (6)

30 6
7 FOI (24), FOII* (new) (3), and Investigator I (6) 33 3
8 FOI (24), FOII* (new) (3), and Inspector I (6) 33 3

* A reduced number of credits are awarded as there are duplicate FFP courses between Investigator I and Inspector I, and Fire Officer I and II, that can only be counted once.

** The student can earn the remaining 36 credits required by the program by selecting courses from the list of electives.

Electives


Up to 12 credits of the 42 program credits can come from the following courses:

Total Program Hours: 60


Note: The articulated Fire Fighting and Protection (FFP) courses can only be used toward the Associate in Science in Fire Science degree; however, an Associate in Science in Fire Science degree containing Fire Fighting and Protection (FFP) credits can be applied toward the Polk State College Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management degree within the Public Administration Concentration.

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