pcc.edu/programs/fire-protection
Career and Program Description
PCC's Fire Protection Technology Program (FPT) is designed for both prospective firefighters and those currently working in the field. The FPT emphasizes and specializes in working with individuals who are entering the fire service and those who wish to upgrade their structural firefighting and other emergency response skills. Students are taught by industry experts and get hands-on experience with the tools of the trade. PCC offers both an Associate of Applied Science Degree and a one year Career Pathway Certificate for fire science students.
The FPT program comprises courses recommended by the National Fire Academy's Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) program. Students will have the opportunity to receive International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) certification in specific categories.
The FPT Career Pathway Certificate is a 34-credit program that prepares students for entry level positions in the fire industry with the following certificates: Fire Fighter I & II, Hazardous Materials First Responder: Awareness and Operations, Wildland Fire Fighter, and Emergency Medical Technician. Students will also be eligible to begin a six month internship with partnering fire agencies to gain valuable work experience as functioning members of an engine company.
The Associate of Applied Science degree in FPT is based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Officer I and Fire Officer II professional qualifications and is accredited by IFSAC. It includes core courses to provide a broad in-depth study of the science and technical aspects, organizational structures, and policies and procedures related to the fire service. Other topics that are stressed as part of the contemporary fire officer education are leadership concepts, human resource management, cultural diversity, and customer service. The degree also contains general education courses focusing on written and verbal communications, human behavior, ethics, and human relations, along with math and science skills. The AAS degree will further develop leadership skills in preparation for a career in the fire service and obtain required prerequisites for the Bachelor of Fire Service Administration degree from Eastern Oregon University.
Degrees and Certificates Offered
Associate of Applied Science Degree
Fire Protection Technology
Less than One-Year: Career Pathway Certificate
Fire Protection Technology
Academic Prerequisites
- Attendance at the Fire Academy orientation class is mandatory. No Exceptions. Students who miss the orientation class will be dropped from the roster by the department.
- MTH 20, IRW 90 or placement into RD 90, or equivalent placement.
- Students entering the Fire Protection Technology AAS degree program need to have completed the Fire Protection Pre-Employment Certificate at PCC or have equivalent training and certification through a local fire agency and have met course prerequisite requirements of WR 115 or IRW 115 and MTH 60. The AAS in Fire Protection Technology is designed to meet specific fire service certification requirements including Emergency Service Instructor I, Fire Officer I, and Fire Officer II.
Academic Requirements
- None
Non-Academic Prerequisites
- Students intending to enroll in the Fire Academy Part I and Part II will be required to have a physician's release to use equipment designed to protect the respiratory system from the products of combustion and hazardous chemicals. It is recommended that students acquire a physician’s release prior to committing to the program. This equipment includes, but is not limited to: self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), respirators and filter mask.
- Due to the unique responsibilities involved in the practical application of fire protection and emergency response during lab periods and cooperative education assignments, the Fire Protection Technology Department reserves the right to counsel and guide students who demonstrate unsuitable characteristics (unsafe or unethical behavior, or physical inability to perform standard job duties) into another area of study.
- Students with a health, physical or psychological problem that may affect or be affected by the use of protective breathing equipment should contact the department prior to entering the program.
Non-Academic Requirements
- Criminal history background checks will be mandatory. Satisfactory background checks are needed to qualify for cooperative education and state certification as a fire fighter and EMT Basic. The cost for the criminal history background check is the responsibility of the student.
- Fire Protection Technology students should be aware that the following questions are asked on the National Registry EMT and/or the Oregon EMT Application:
- Do you or have you had within the past 10 years, any physical or mental condition that impairs, could impair, or has impaired your ability to perform the duties of an EMT? If you answer yes, explain whether your condition is controlled by medication or other treatment and how your condition treated or untreated, affects your ability to perform the duties of an EMT.
- Do you or have you used in the last 10 years, any drug or chemical substance for other than legitimate medical purposes that impairs or has impaired your ability to perform the duties of an EMT?
- Have you been counseled about, diagnosed with, or treated for, a dependency on alcohol or drugs within the last 10 years?
- Have you ever been arrested, charged with, or convicted of any misdemeanor or felony? (Minor traffic violations need not be reported.)
- Has an employer or supervising physician taken disciplinary action against you related to your duties as an EMT? (Discipline includes suspension, letter or reprimand, resignation in lieu of termination, a limitation or restriction of scope of practice or dismissal for cause.)
- Have you been named in a lawsuit alleging medical malpractice or misconduct related to providing medical care?
- Have you ever been disciplined, denied or revoked by the National Registry of EMTs or any health care certifying/licensing agency?
- Have you ever surrendered or resigned a health care license or certificate?
- Have you lived, worked or attended school outside of Oregon for 60 or more consecutive days in the last 5 years?
Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree
Minimum 91 credits. Students must also meet Associate Degree Comprehensive Requirements and Associate of Applied Science Requirements. Students must complete a total of four courses of General Education. Some courses specified within the program may be used as General Education. A maximum of 24 Pass/No Pass credits are allowed in the Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree. In addition to required courses in the program of study, students must satisfy MTH 58/65 competency. Students should consult with program advisors for course planning.
Fire Protection Degree Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 111 | Public Speaking (COMM111=COMM111Z) *,Z | 4 |
| COMM 218 | Interpersonal Communication (COMM214=COMM218=COMM218Z) *,Z | 4 |
| FP 121 | Fire Behavior and Combustion | 3 |
| FP 122 | Fundamentals of Fire Prevention | 3 |
| FP 130 | Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply | 3 |
| FP 137 | Fire Protection Systems | 3 |
| FP 166 | Building Construction for Fire Protection | 3 |
| FP 205 | Management and Quality in the Fire Service | 3 |
| FP 212 | Fire Investigation (Cause Determination) | 3 |
| FP 214 | Occupational Safety & Health for the Fire Science | 3 |
| FP 240 | Emergency Services Instructor I | 3 |
| FP 246 | Firefighting Strategy & Tactics | 3 |
| FP 274 | Introduction to Fire and Emergency Administration | 3 |
| FP 275 | Community and Government Relations | 3 |
| FP 280A | Cooperative Education: Fire Protection | 3 |
| FP 291 | Fire Codes and Related Ordinances | 3 |
| MSD 117 | Customer Relations | 3 |
| PHL 202 | Ethics * | 4 |
| PSY 101 | Psychology and Human Relations * | 4 |
| SOC 213 | Diversity in the United States * | 4 |
| WR 227 | Technical Writing (WR227=WR227Z) Z | 4 |
| Fire Protection Degree Electives | 16 | |
| General Education: 2 courses | ||
| Total Credits | 91 | |
- *
Could be used as General Education
- Z
This course is part of Oregon Common Course Numbering. The following courses are equivalent:
COMM 111 and COMM 111Z
COMM 214, COMM 218, and COMM 218Z
WR 227 and WR 227Z
- *
Could be used as General Education
- Z
This course is part of Oregon Common Course Numbering. The following courses are equivalent:
COMM 111 and COMM 111Z
COMM 214, COMM 218, and COMM 218Z
WR 227 and WR 227Z
Fire Protection Degree Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EMS 105 | EMT Part I | 6 |
| EMS 106 | EMT Part II | 6 |
| FP 101 | Principles of Emergency Services | 3 |
| FP 111 | Fire Academy Part 1 | 8 |
| FP 112 | Fire Academy Part 2 | 8 |
| FP 123 | Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations | 3 |
| FP 133 | Wildland Firefighter | 3 |
| FP 201 | Introduction to Emergency Service Rescue | 4 |
| FP 280B | Cooperative Education | 3 |
| FP 289 | Emergency Service Lifetime Fitness and Conditioning | 3 |
| UAS 100 | Career Explorations and Intro to Unoccupied Aircraft Systems | 1 |
| UAS 101 | UAS Pilot Test Prep | 2 |
| UAS 102 | UAS Flight Operations | 2 |
Fire Protection Technology Career Pathway Certificate
Minimum 34 credits. Students must meet all certificate requirements. The Fire Protection Certificate is a Career Pathway. All courses are contained within the Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree. All courses required for the certificate must be completed at PCC or through a recognized Dual Credit program.
Fire Protection Technology Certificate Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EMS 105 | EMT Part I | 6 |
| EMS 106 | EMT Part II | 6 |
| FP 101 | Principles of Emergency Services | 3 |
| FP 111 | Fire Academy Part 1 | 8 |
| FP 112 | Fire Academy Part 2 | 8 |
| FP 123 | Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations | 3 |
| Total Credits | 34 | |
FP 101. Principles of Emergency Services. 3 Credits.
Provides an overview to fire protection, emergency services, and career opportunities in fire protection and related fields. Includes culture and history of emergency services, fire loss analysis, organization and function of public and private fire protection services, and fire departments as part of local government. Covers laws and regulations affecting the fire service, fire service nomenclature, basic fire chemistry and physics, life safety initiatives, and specific fire protection functions. Introduce fire protection system and fire strategy and tactics. Prerequisites: (WR 90 or IRW 90) and MTH 20.
FP 111. Fire Academy Part 1. 8 Credits.
Covers basic tools, procedures, techniques and safety precautions utilized by firefighters, during fire ground operations. Includes comprehensive training in individual firefighting skills. Involves transfer of knowledge obtained from classroom instruction to drill ground application, during hands-on training. Prerequisite: (IRW 90 or WR 90) and MTH 20.
FP 112. Fire Academy Part 2. 8 Credits.
Covers tools, procedures, techniques and safety precautions utilized by firefighters, during fire ground operations. Includes comprehensive training in firefighting skills related to fire company evolutions. Involves transfer of knowledge obtained from classroom instruction to drill ground application, during hands-on live fire training. Prerequisite/concurrent: FP 111.
FP 121. Fire Behavior and Combustion. 3 Credits.
Explores the theories and fundamentals of how and why fires start, spread, and how they are controlled. Covers the process of combustion, fire dynamics in a compartment, dynamics of extreme fire behavior and reading smoke. Prerequisites: (WR 115 or IRW 115) and MTH 60.
FP 122. Fundamentals of Fire Prevention. 3 Credits.
Provides fundamental knowledge relating to the field of fire prevention. Includes history and philosophy of fire prevention; organization and operation of a fire prevention division; use and application of codes and standards; plans review; fire inspections; fire and life safety education; and fire investigation. Prerequisites: (WR 115 or IRW 115) and MTH 60.
FP 123. Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations. 3 Credits.
Designed to prepare individuals to safely respond to hazardous materials emergencies. Individuals will learn to analyze an incident; detect the presence of hazardous materials; survey the scene; collect hazard information from the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook; implement actions consistent with standard operating procedures; initiate protective actions and initiate the notification process.
FP 130. Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply. 3 Credits.
Provides a foundation of theoretical knowledge in order to understand the principles of the use of water in fire protection and to apply hydraulic principles to analyze and to solve water supply problems. Prerequisites: MTH 95, (WR 115 or IRW 115) and FP 112 or equivalent.
FP 133. Wildland Firefighter. 3 Credits.
Meets National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) training requirements including a work capacity test at the arduous level for Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2). Includes wildland fire behavior, fire control tactics, human factors on the fireline, standards for fire fighter safety and survival, introduction to the incident command system, and a field exercise. Prerequisites: (WR 115 and RD 115) or IRW 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement. Audit available.
FP 137. Fire Protection Systems. 3 Credits.
Covers features of design and operation of fire alarm systems, water-based fire suppression systems, special hazard fire suppression systems, water supply for fire protection, and portable fire extinguishers. Prerequisites: MTH 60 and (WR 115 or IRW 115).
FP 166. Building Construction for Fire Protection. 3 Credits.
Covers the components of building construction related to firefighter and life safety. Includes the classifications of building construction and the theoretical concepts of how fire impacts major types of building construction. Prerequisites: FP 112, MTH 60, (WR 115 or IRW 115), and (RD 90 or IRW 90) or equivalent placement.
FP 170. Introduction to Firefighting Tactics and Strategy. 3 Credits.
Explores tactics and strategies used on emergency incidents. Includes incident action plan, size-up, exposures protection, rescue, containment, extinguishment, control, incident command system, mutual aid operations, post-incident analysis, and prefire surveys. Prerequisite: Placement into WR 121Z and MTH 65, and FP 112.
FP 201. Introduction to Emergency Service Rescue. 4 Credits.
Introduces level I technical rescuer knowledge and skills as identified in NFPA 1006, including, job performance requirements, rope rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse, vehicle and machinery rescue, surface water rescue, swiftwater rescue, dive rescue, surf rescue, and wilderness rescue. Prerequisite: FP 112 or Fire Fighter II certification.
FP 205. Management and Quality in the Fire Service. 3 Credits.
Covers National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1021 chapters 4.2 and 5.2 and NFPA Standard 1710, which include utilization of human resources to accomplish assignments in accordance with safety plans and the evaluation of performance as well as the development of standards for deployment of fire resources. Prerequisites: EMS 106, FP 112, WR 121Z or any writing course for which WR 121Z is a prerequisite, MTH 65 or any math course for which MTH 65 is a prerequisite. Audit available.
FP 207. Fire Service Based Emergency Medical Service. 3 Credits.
Covers fire service based pre-hospital 9-1-1 emergency medical systems based on NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, Chapters 4 and 5. Prerequisites: WR 121Z, MTH 65, EMS 106, FP 112.
FP 210. Multicultural Strategies for Firefighters. 3 Credits.
Provides familiarization with communication styles, customs, language, and behavior patterns of various cultures, ethnic groups, and non-traditional populations as employed by and encountered by the fire service and other emergency service professions. Prerequisite: WR 121Z and MTH 65.
FP 212. Fire Investigation (Cause Determination). 3 Credits.
Examines the burning characteristics of combustibles and how materials are ignited. Covers interpreting clues and burn patterns leading to the point of origin and identifying incendiary indicators and sources of ignition. Covers preliminary interview procedures and how to preserve fire scene evidence. Prerequisite: WR 121Z, MTH 65, and FP 112.
FP 214. Occupational Safety & Health for the Fire Science. 3 Credits.
Introduces the basic concepts of occupational safety, health and mental wellness as it relates to emergency service organizations. Includes risk evaluation and control procedures for fire stations, training sites, emergency vehicles, emergency situations involving fire, EMS, hazardous materials, and technical rescue. Prerequisite: WR 121Z or any writing course for which WR 121Z is a prerequisite, MTH 65 or any math course for which MTH 65 is a prerequisite. Audit available.
FP 240. Emergency Services Instructor I. 3 Credits.
Designed to meet NFPA Standard 1041; Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I. Presents how to organize classroom, laboratory and outdoor learning environments and present prepared lessons utilizing recognized methods of instruction. Includes strategies to adjust and modify presentations based on student learning styles and changing classroom environments. Covers how to write course objectives and student learning outcomes. Prerequisites: WR 121Z, MTH 65 and COMM 111Z.
FP 246. Firefighting Strategy & Tactics. 3 Credits.
Covers incident action plans (IAP), principles of fire ground control, incident management, conducting a post-incident analysis, and writing an incident report. Prerequisites: FP 112, and (WR 115 and RD 115) or IRW 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement. Audit available.
FP 273. Fire Service Human Resource Management. 3 Credits.
Covers NFPA 1021, Chapters 4.2 and 5.2 and will involve human resources to accomplish assignments in accordance with safety plans and in an efficient manner. Involves evaluating personnel performance and supervising personnel during emergency and non-emergency work periods. Prerequisites: WR 121Z, MTH 65, FP 112.
FP 274. Introduction to Fire and Emergency Administration. 3 Credits.
Introduces the organization and management of a fire and emergency services department and the relationship of government agencies to the fire service. Emphasizes fire and emergency service, ethics, and leadership from the perspective of the company officer. Includes preparing a project or divisional budget, news releases, and policy changes, according to job performance requirements. This course meets NPFA 1021, Chapters 4.4 and 5.4. Prerequisites: WR 121Z, MTH 65, FP 112 or department permission.
FP 275. Community and Government Relations. 3 Credits.
Explores responding to inquiries of the community and allied organizations in the community. Covers communicating and projecting the role, image and mission of the department to the public and organizations for the purpose of establishing strategic partnerships and delivering safety, injury and fire prevention education programs. This course meets the intention of NFPA 1021, Fire Officer I & II, Chapters 4.3 and 5.3. Prerequisites: Placement into WR 121Z and MTH 65 or equivalent placement, and FP 122 or department permission.
FP 280A. Cooperative Education: Fire Protection. 3 Credits.
Offers field placement in a fire department to link course work to actual working experiences. Emphasizes independent learning and workplace skills with limited instruction. Must be coordinated with the hosting fire department supervisor, PCC Fire Protection instructor, and PCC cooperative education specialist. Attendance at mandatory seminar and Fire Protection Department permission required. Prerequisites: (WR 115 and RD 115) or IRW 115 and MTH 60 or equivalent placement, and FP 112, FP 123, and EMS 106.
FP 280B. Cooperative Education. 3 Credits.
Offers hands on training experience in a fire service related work environment and equipment lab linking academic work to actual fire related drill experiences. Emphasizes workplace skills, teamwork and student leadership.
FP 289. Emergency Service Lifetime Fitness and Conditioning. 3 Credits.
Covers all aspects of fitness for current and prospective firefighters. Includes physical and mental aspects of performance for optimal achievement on fire department agility tests and firefighting tasks. Includes individual conditioning strategies, nutritional guidelines, protective clothing concepts, basic exercise principles, pre-employment, evaluation, and lifelong fitness and conditioning.
FP 291. Fire Codes and Related Ordinances. 3 Credits.
Covers aspects of the International Fire Code (IFC), State laws, regulations, revised statutes and local ordinances related to fire & life safety. Includes interpretation of the IFC, code development and the adoption process; code enforcement authority and limitations; application of codes, documentation and interrelationships of codes and standards, recommended practices and ethical and political issues. Designed to meet NFPA Standard 1031; Standard for Professional Qualifications, for Fire Inspector I. Prerequisites: WR 121Z, MTH 65, FP 122, FP 137 and FP 166. Audit available.
FP 295. Major Emergency Tactics/Strategy. 3 Credits.
Covers response and size-up, fire-ground tactics and analysis, post-mortem, pre-fire survey and planning, combined operations, mutual aid, disaster planning and problems in unusual fire operations. Prerequisite: FP 170. Audit available.