Public Safety Fitness Instructor
Due to the increasing need for firefighter physical conditioning of pre-employment students in
the Fire Technology program, especially the Fire Academy, the Fire Science Conditioning
courses need to be offered more frequently. We have experienced two student injuries per
semester during the Fire Academy due to poor student fitness and undisclosed pre-existing
injuries. The same instructor for the firefighter physical conditioning program is an integral part
of the Fire Technology Introduction to Fire Academy course, teaching proper body mechanics
for lifting, carrying and handling equipment in a manner to prevent injury. Currently, the
qualified instructor is an adjunct working at maximum adjunct load, dividing instruction between
Fire and Law Enforcement physical conditioning courses. A full time public safety (fire and law
enforcement) conditioning instructor would be able to provide more instructional offerings of the
fire conditioning program, as well as the law enforcement program. The additional fire
conditioning time would be used to help our under represented students become more physically
prepared to meet the rigors of the job as taught in the Fire Academy, and prepare these students
to successfully complete the nationally recognized Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) used
by most fire agencies as an entry requirement for Firefighter positions. Also, the public safety
conditioning instructor would attend key physical training sessions of the Fire Academy to assess
the strength, endurance, stamina and overall conditioning of Academy and provide prescriptive
training recommendations for students at risk of failure for manipulative performance
assessments, thus improving student success in this area. This is the eighth year of requesting
this position.
CHABOT COLLEGE
CRITERIA FOR FILLING CURRENT VACANCIES
OR
REQUESTING NEW FACULTY POSITIONS
Discipline Fire Technology
Criteria 1.
Percent of full-time faculty in department.
Fall 2012 Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
FTEF
(Contract)
1
1
1
1
1
FTEF
(Temporary)
15
15
15
15
15
# of Contract
Faculty
.07
.07
.07
.07
.07
Name of Recently Retired Faculty (in last 3 yrs)
Date Retired
N/A
Criteria 2.
Semester end departmental enrollment pattern for last three years.
Fall 2012
Spring
2013
Fall 2013
Spring
2014
Fall 2014
Success Rate:
62%
61%
63%
57%
65%
FTES:
35.05
36.20
35.71
34.16
43.23
Briefly describe how a new hire will impact your success/retention rates.
Demand & Capacity for Majors/Services (Degree/Certificate Completion Data) - Fire Conditioning required as prerequisite to Fire Academy and part of
degree
- New fire academy program as of Fall 2016 will have fitness in Academy
as well
- Fire Technology is #10 of the top 10 Majors at Chabot College, with 455
students as of Fall 2015
Educational Goals (Transfer/CTE/Basic Skills Curricula) - fire conditioning is also a basic skill
- hand, eye, foot coordination
- this position is a fitness coach to public safety students
2b. Librarian and Counselor faculty ratio. Divide head count by the number of full
time faculty. For example, 8000 students divided by 3 full time faculty, 1:2666
Fall 2012
Criteria 3.
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
Meets established class size.
WSCH
FTES:
WSCH/FTES
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
1054
1088
1082
1045
1300
35.05
345.46
36.20
381.09
35.71
350.62
34.16
347.06
43.23
386.79
If there are any external factors that limit class sizes, please explain.
State Fire Training has restrictions to some class sizes based on a maximum number of students for a single instructor lecture class. Also, new state standards will require 1 instructor for 10 students, down from the 1 instructor to 12 student ratio. Criteria 4.
Current instructional gaps and program service needs. List the courses to fill
the gaps, if applicable.
The Fire Technology Instructor/Coordinator (FTIC) is the only full time faculty for this division. With the growing need for the FTIC to participate in shared governance committees, outside professional organizations that impact program accreditation and faculty lead in the Career Pathways Trust for Public Service and Law, there is no additional faculty to support program needs. This position will help to fill this gap. Also, per the PRBC Program Review Synthesis Statement on Faculty Prioritization -­‐‑ November 16, 2015, one of the stated goals reads: "The next critical needs are those exhibited in disciplines anchored by one or no full-­‐‑time faculty or disciplines positioned for significant growth related to geographic or emerging technological demand." Since there is only 1 full time instructor/coordinator in the Fire Technology Division, and assistance has been requested each year, this program is far overdue for an additional full time position. Criteria 5.
Describe how courses and/or services in this discipline meet PRBC’s three
tier criteria. These include:
• Tier 1: outside mandates (e.g. to ensure the licensure of the program.)
• Tier 2: program health, (e.g. addresses gaps in faculty expertise and creates
pathways, alleviates bottlenecks, helps units where faculty have made large
commitments outside the classroom to develop/implement initiatives that
support the strategic plan goal, and helps move an already successful initiative
forward.
• Tier 3: Student need/equity, (e.g. addresses unmet needs as measured by
unmet/backlogged advising needs, bottlenecks in GE areas and basic skills,
impacted majors in which students cannot begin or continue their pathway.)
Tier 1: Maintain compliance with:
Legal Mandates (External Mandates from Governing Bodies) National Fire Protection Association [NFPA] and California Office of State Fire Marshal Division of Training [State Fire Training] NFPA 1582, Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program NFPA 1583, Health-­‐‑Related Fitness Programs for Fire Fighters State Fire Training Accredited Regional Fire Training Center Guidelines [failure to provide required training by qualified instructors impacts
accreditation]
Tier 2: Program Health:
Full time/Part time Faculty Ratio (FT/PT Ratio Date for past 3 years) - Fire Tech Instructor Coordinator is only Full-Time
- 15 to 20 part-time instructors depending on semester
- requested position annually for 7 years
Program Integrity/Continuity/Survival (Qualitative Analysis) - original Coordinator position managed Fire Tech degree program while
teaching
- new responsibilities of coordinator require management of Fire Academy
(previously handled by part-time instructor until Fall 2008), CAL FIRE
Wildland Academy (beginning Fall 2011) and addition of Fire Inspector
Degree
- current participation with Career Pathway Trust has increased demand of
time by Fire Tech Coordinator and adjunct faculty for success with Eden
ROP new Fire program [currently 40 students in the Eden ROP First
Responder Fire/EMS program]
- approval of this position gives additional faculty to manage program load
Potential Growth of Discipline (Enrollment trends and external indicators) - constituent Fire Agencies want to expand previous mandate that focused on
pre-employment education and post employment degree training
- Fire Academy will need physical conditioning integrated into the training
as well as pre-Academy preparation
- Eden ROP and Career Pathway Trust efforts toward a duel enrollment Fire
program will increase local area high school students into Chabot Fire
Fitness and Fire Academy courses
Tier 3: Student Need/Equity:
Demand & Capacity for Majors/Services (Degree/Certificate Completion Data) - Fire Fitness Training required as prerequisite to Fire Academy and part of
degree
- New fire academy program as of Fall 2016 will have fitness in Academy as
well, and will require qualified fitness trainer to oversee fitness and
nutrition progress of pre-Fire Academy and active Fire Academy students
Educational Goals (Transfer/CTE/Basic Skills Curricula) - fire conditioning is also a basic skill
- hand, eye, foot coordination
- this position is a fitness coach to public safety students
Serving the Community (Equity) (Student & Community Demographic Data) - Fire Conditioning has played a significant role in the success of
underserved and underrepresented students who train to enter the
profession.
- Some have done so well, they were hired by Fire Departments before
completing the Fire Academy.
- Greater success rate for women as well as students who are not physically
prepared to succeed in this physically rigorous program
Industry/Job Market Trends (Labor Market Trends/Job Placement Data) - the Fire Departments are entering a phase of multiple retirements over the
next three years. Statewide, the Employment Development Department
estimates a 6.3% increase in new fire department positions; in the Bay Area
alone, there are over 500 jobs opening over the next two years
- there is a projected need for over 30,000 fire service positions in the State
of California during the period of 2012 to 2022
- In CTE Programs at Chabot, Firefighter is #8 of the highest projected job
openings over the next 10 years that require an Associate Degree or
Certificate
- Candidates who do not have and maintain a dedicated fitness and nutrition
regimen are released during their Fire Academy training conducted by the
employing agency
- the fire fitness training and nutrition training at Chabot will be key to
helping our students be physically prepared to obtain and maintain long
term career employment with a Fire Service Agency in California or
anywhere in the USA
Students who are better conditioned for the job are better positioned for these
opportunities while they continue their certificate and associate degree
journey
Criteria 6.
Upon justification the college may be granted a faculty position to start a new
program or to enhance an existing one.
Is this a new program or is it designed to enhance an existing program? Please
explain.
This is an enhancement to an existing program for the reasons described previously. Specifically, it will be key to support the Fire Academy, the Career Pathway from Eden ROP to Chabot Fire Academy, and expand the nutritional support training where no specific opportunity exists for Fire Fighter trainees on this campus.
Criteria 7.
CTE Program Impact.
Course and Program Offerings
(Number of Active Courses and Programs)
- the position requires credibility, a person who has actually worked as
either a police officer or firefighter
- in its inception, the course was taught by a full-time instructor who was
not from the public safety sector. Students complained about the courses
relevancy as the fitness instruction did not meet the profession
- since 2001, the course has been taught by a retired Hayward Police
Officer, who later went through several training components of the
Chabot Fire Academy to biomechanically breakdown the job to teach the
proper body positioning, lifting and coordination to do the job
- the students who partake of this training while in the Fire Academy have
had fewer injuries, if any, compared to those who did not
Criteria 8.
Degree/Transfer Impact (if applicable)
List the Certificates and/or AA degrees that your discipline/program offers.
Provide information about the number of degrees awarded in the last three years.
Degree/Certificate
AA requirement - Fire Technology - Fire Prevention Inspector Certificates - Fire Fighter 1 Academy - Wildland Basic Fire Fighter - Fire Technology - Fire Prevention Inspector Declared major
# Awarded
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
7 3 6 2
12 1
42 30 2 1
39 40 4 3
39 40 2 3
342
364
314
Note: Fall 2015 Preliminary Census for Declared Major = 455
Criteria 9.
Describe how courses and/or services in this discipline impact other
disciplines and programs. Be brief and specific. Use your program review to
complete this section.
The full-­‐‑time public safety conditioning instructor, in conjunction with the Fire Technology Instructor / Coordinator, would be key to supporting Awareness & Access Objectives A2c [increasing completion for underrepresented students] and A4c [evaluate accessibility of course offerings and provide new configurations as needed] by modifying the structure and content of the conditioning courses, along with the time and frequency of course offerings, to meet the students’ needs to successfully prepare for and complete the physical training components of fire and law enforcement manipulative performance requirements. In the area of fire conditioning, this instructor is key to the Student Success objectives B1b [improve learning and success rates] and B3e [alternative delivery methods] through the offering of courses that integrate training components for active Fire Academy students along with pre-­‐‑Academy students, yet vary with skill development needs of the students who persist in the Fire Academy sequence of courses. This position is also supports the Community Partnership objectives C2a [off-­‐‑site partnerships with … community-­‐‑based organizations] and C3a [increase engagement of student, faculty and classified professionals in the community] through the networking between fire and law enforcement agencies and addressing their needs in the development of potential candidates for employment through updated physical conditioning programs that meet local jurisdiction interests. Criteria 10.
Additional justification e.g. availability of part time faculty (day/evening)
Please describe any additional criteria you wish to have considered in your
request.
Due to the increasing need for firefighter physical conditioning of pre-­‐‑
employment students in the Fire Technology program, especially the Fire Academy, the Fire Fitness Training courses need to be offered more frequently, and include an appropriate Health & Nutrition course relevant to Firefighters who work 24-­‐‑hour and 48-­‐‑hour shift cycles. We have experienced two student injuries per semester during the Fire Academy due to poor student fitness and undisclosed pre-­‐‑existing injuries. The same instructor for the firefighter fitness training program is an integral part of the Fire Technology Introduction to Fire Academy course, teaching proper body mechanics for lifting, carrying and handling equipment in a manner to prevent injury. Currently, the qualified instructor is an adjunct working at maximum adjunct load, dividing instruction between Fire and Law Enforcement physical conditioning courses. A full time public safety (fire and law enforcement) conditioning instructor would be able to provide more instructional offerings of the fire fitness training program, as well as the law enforcement program. The additional fire fitness time would be used to help our under represented students become more physically prepared to meet the rigors of the job as taught in the Fire Academy, and prepare these students to successfully complete the nationally recognized Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) used by most fire agencies as an entry requirement for Firefighter positions. Also, the public safety fitness instructor would attend key physical training sessions of the Fire Academy to assess the strength, endurance, stamina and overall conditioning of Academy students and provide prescriptive training recommendations for students at risk of failure for manipulative performance assessments, thus improving student retention and success in this area. This is the eighth year of requesting this position. FACULTY PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA SUMMARY NOTES
• Per the PRBC Program Review Synthesis Statement on Faculty Prioritization November 16, 2015; one of the stated goals reads: "
• The next critical needs are those exhibited in disciplines anchored by one or no fulltime faculty or disciplines positioned for significant growth related to geographic or
emerging technological demand."
• Fire Technology is #10 of the top ten majors at Chabot College with 455 students who
declared this as a major per IR
• In CTE Programs at Chabot College, Firefighter is #8 Among the Highest Projected
Job Openings in Alameda County: 2014-2020 that require Associate Degree or
Certificate
• Per the demands of High Schools, Public Service and Law is a constant and growing
demand - currently 40 students participating in the Eden ROP First Responder
program this academic year that combines medical and firefighter training
• There are competing demands on the fire and law enforcement fitness and nutrition
training needed for the AJ and Fire programs at Chabot casuing the qualified part time
instructor to go over load. This issue was brought before this body before, but not
deemed a high enough priority for funding last year
• We are having to use Professional Development funding to cover additional fire
fitness training, rather than run an additional fire fitness course, thus losing FTES that
should be collected but cannot because of the manner in which we must provide the
needed training
• Many of our women and disadvantaged students depend on this training to develop
themselves for the rigors of performing public safety work that is not effectively
replicated in any other fitness courses provided outside of the public safety, fire and
law enforcement fitness courses
• The new Fire Academy training program will add another four hours of skill
development lab per week, including fire fitness development related to the weekly
training competencies
• Failure to fund this position will lead to the current part time instructor running up to
her max load every semester, but not covering all of the demand, leading to a
reduction of class offerings - not for lack of demand - but for lack of consistently
available qualified instructors. The greatest reduction will impact the AJ side, since
the Fire Academy has the greater need and Chabot does not offer a Police Academy.
This, in turn, may negatively impact Administration of Justice students.