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 of students 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, it became mandated that students attain State of Florida Firefighter (Part I) prior to pursuing the Fire Officer certifications that are part of the articulated credit requirement for this degree. However, Chart A, Option V (Fire Safety) is designed for students who do not hold the Firefighter I Certification. This option is intended for risk managers, safety personnel, fire marshal personnel, insurance investigators, fire engineers, etc.

Firefighters who hold out-of-state, national, or military certifications or 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, students should contact the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, 11655 NW Gainesville Rd. Ocala, FL 34482-1486; telephone: 352.369.2800.

ADVISORY NOTE: Effective October 20, 2016, a change to the FCDICE Fire Course Numbering System went into effect. Depending on where the course was offered, the 45 hour fire courses will be assigned three different prefixes (FFP, BFST, and ATPC), by the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training. The course title, four digit number, and curriculum will remain the same. Previous to this date, all fire courses taken by students will retain their FFP status.

General Education Requirements (18 Credits Required)

Communications

ENC 1101 - College Composition I

Mathematics (One Course)

Humanities (One Course)

Social Sciences (One Course)

Natural Sciences (One Course)

BSC 1005C - Survey of Biological Science
BSC 1033 - Biological Issues
ESC 1000 - Survey of Earth Science
OCE 2001C - Oceanography
PSC 1121 - Survey of Physical Science
PSC 2515 - Energy and Humanity
CHM 1025C - Introductory Chemistry
(Or students may take any approved General Education science course.)

Health and Wellness (One Course)

HLP 1081 - Wellness Concepts
HSC 1101 - Wellness: Nutrition, Personal Growth, and Fitness
Note: Students who take a three-credit science class must take HSC 1101. Students who take a four-credit science class can choose either HLP 1081 or HSC 1101.

Program Core Requirements (42 Credits Required)

Choose One:
ENC 2210 - Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing OR
GEB 2214 - Business Communications
Choose One:
CGS 1061 - Introduction to Computers and Information Systems OR
CGS 1100 - Computer Applications for Business

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

Students 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 (for more information, visit http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/SFM/BFST) as described below. Therefore, no individual courses are accepted by transcript or any other method. This articulation of credits is provided at no cost to the student.

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

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

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

**CHART A: Fire Officer I Certification earned after 11-18-2013**
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/Inspector I and Fire Officer I/II that can only be counted once.

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

***This option is for students who do 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 11-18-2013**
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/Inspector I and Fire Officer I/II that can only be counted once.

** Students can earn the remaining credits of the 36 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:

POS 1112 - State and Local Government
INP 1390 - Human Relations in Business and Industry
MAN 2021 - Principles of Management
MAN 2300 - Introduction to Human Resource Management
STA 2023 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics
SPC 1608 - Speech Communication
FFP 1000* Introduction to Fire Science: Firefighter Part II (Florida Firefighter Minimum Standards) Certificate of Compliance issued by the State of Florida.

*Students with current Florida Fire Fighter II certifications are eligible for 3 credits for FFP 1000. This course is available only through articulated credit.

Total Program Hours: 60

Note: The articulated Fire Fighting and Protection (FFP) courses can only be used toward the Fire Science associate’s degree; however, an Associate in Science in Fire Science degree containing Fire Fighting and Protection credits can be applied toward Polk State College’s BAS in Supervision and Management degree.