RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
PROGRAM REVIEW
OF
OF
FIRE TECHNOLOGY

Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
A. Mission and Relationship to the College(s)
The Fire Technology Program at Ben Clark Training Center (BCTC), Moreno Valley campus is an academic and occupational/vocational program that serves the community by providing basic and advanced firefighter education and training.
The Fire
Technology discipline provides accessible and affordable post-secondary education to students seeking a career in the fire service. Successful completion of the program leads to attainment of a high-paying professional career that will advance the socioeconomic status of the students and the communities they serve by providing resources for themselves and others. The Fire Technology discipline works in partnership with other educational institutions, business, industry, and community groups to enhance the student’s educational experience.
B.
The history of the Fire Technology Program has its roots with the Riverside City campus and the city of Riverside. The program was initially administered through the Riverside
City campus but located with program offices and courses offerings at the Hall of
Justice in the city of Riverside. In the 1980’s, the program was developed to meet the training needs of firefighters in the Inland Empire and its growing population. In the
1990’s, the program initiated a series of programmatic initiatives under the leadership of the Riverside City campus. The initiatives included the development of an Associate of
Science degree in Fire Technology, a certificate in Fire Technology, and a multi-agency
Truck Academy; likewise, during this period under the leadership of the Riverside City campus, the program expanded its curriculum in fire administration, operations, and command. This programmatic expansion eventually led to the relocation of Fire
Technology to the Ben Clark Training Center, an integrated public training facility whose participants include Riverside County Fire Department, California Highway Patrol and
River side County Sheriff’s department. Then, in 2001, the program added the Basic
Firefighter Academy to address the demand for entry-level skills for firefighters. Today, the program, which was aligned with the Moreno Valley campus in 2006, offers over
150 courses and accommodates over 3,000 students per year. In fact, the Fire
Technology Program now includes over 80 courses in entry-level and advanced firefighter education and training.
Staffing needs for the program have yet to meet the dynamic demands of the initiatives.
From the inception of the program to 1998, all personnel had been part-time: the director/coordinator; part-time faculty. In1998 several staffing changes were made: the director became a full-time staff member; an Instructional Development Specialist (IDS) and Student Services Technician (SST), and a part-time coordinator were hired. The last staff positions were added in 2001 to include a part-time coordinator for State Fire
Training courses, and a full-time Basic Firefighter Academy Coordinator, which is a contracted position between Riverside Community College District and Riverside
County Fire Department. The program still has no full-time faculty to teach the Fire
Technology curriculum, which offers an associate’s degree and a certificate.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Changes within the last 2-4 years in the Fire Technology Discipline:
Several significant changes have affected the program in the past two to four years.
The first is the alignment with the Fire Technology program and Ben Clark Training
Center under the Moreno Valley campus in 2006. This restructuring now aligns the program with other Health Services programs whose responsibilities are similar in that they provide for education and training for those working in the public health and safety professions. The second significant change is new leadership for the Fire Technology
Program. On February 5, 2007 a new interim director of Fire Technology was appointed to oversee and direct the program.
Another significant change is the relocation of the EMT and Paramedic program to Ben
Clark Training Center in 2006. EMS 50 and 51 are prerequisites for the Basic
Firefighter Academy. Paramedic certification is often an educational option selected by students based upon the hiring criteria by fire departments. Locating both programs at
Ben Clark allows interaction and coordination between both disciplines.
Fire Technology Data and Environmental Scan –
Programmatic Trends and Labor Analysis:
In order for the district and the discipline to serve the community, one must look at programmatic trends and analyze the labor market to ensure the needs of students and the needs of industry. For the Fire Technology discipline, the programmatic trends can be categorized in three distinct areas:
1. Degrees and Certificates
2. Academies
3. Continuing Education/Professional Development
The Fire Technology degree provides an academic semester-based program that is modeled similarly to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Fire Academy model for an associate ’s degree. Students who choose this path complete a total of 60 units, with 30 units being general education, 6 units of Emergency Medical Training
(EMT 50 and 51), and the remaining units as electives from the Fire Technology discipline. The certificate program is 23 units designed for students seeking an emphasis in Fire Technology, but it does not include the general education component or emergency medical component that is required for the associate’s degree.
Completions of degrees and certificates for the discipline have been minimal, with 13 associate degrees and 16 certificates issued in 2006. Increasing the number of degrees and certificates is an identified goal for the future of the discipline.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
The Fire Technology discipline offers four academy-style courses:

The Basic Firefighter Academy (FIT-S3) is a 19 unit, 12 week, 10 hour per day, 5 days per week intensive academic and skills-based program designed for developing the student’s entry-level skills. The Basic Firefighter Academy is accredited by the California State Fire Marshal’s Office, and is often mandated as a minimum qualification for entry-level employment.

The Volunteer Trainee Academy (FIT-S17) is a nine day basic volunteer firefighter skills course designed to provide students with a pathway to become volunteer firefighters. It is estimated that Riverside County utilizes approximately
2,000 volunteer firefighters to supplement the career workforce. Students often choose the path of volunteerism as a pathway to a paid position in the future.
Employers encourage volunteering, ROP, and Explorer programs prior to becoming a career firefighter.

The CDF Basic Firefighter (FIT-S4) academy is a two-week/seventy-two hour course that provides the student with the minimum level of training to become a seasonal firefighter. California employs several thousand seasonal firefighter employees who need basic level training.

The Multi-Agency Truck Academy (FIT-S2) is a professional development course designed for the student who is also an experienced firefighter. This course is 95 hours of lecture and laboratory over the course of 11 days. Students have a high completion and retention rate of 100% for this program.
The academies serve the students and community by providing basic and advanced firefighter training required for either entering the profession or advancing in the profession.
The continuing education/professional development emphasis is for students who are volunteer or professional firefighters, and who are seeking opportunities to build or develop skills and abilities as managers and fire officers. The continuing education/professional development courses have very high retention and success.
Exit surveys indicate that success rates are largely due to employer incentives to complete the courses and the concentrated short duration in which the courses are offered. These courses are typically offered in 40 hour blocks over one to two weeks.
Fall Semester 2005-2006 Data Presented by the Office of Institutional
Research, RCCD
The program regularly collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative information to support an on-going self-assessment process that measures student educational outcomes and program effectiveness. The results of the data, presented in Table 1.1, are used to guide programmatic development based on the number and percentage of
Fire Technology students enrolled in courses or course sections from fall 2004 to fall
2005.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Top Enrolled
Courses
Emt Continuing
Education
Fire Protection Org
Prevent 1A: Inspect
Prac
Instruct 1A:
Techniques
Intro Wildland Fire
Behavior (s-190)
Enrolled Spaces –
Fall 2005
185
104
72
67
61
Table 1.1
Change from
Fall 2004
-18
79
-2
1
-6
Valid Grades 1
185
103
72
66
61
Retention 2
100.0%
90.3%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Success 3
93.5%
73.8%
100.0%
93.9%
100.0%
TOTAL FIT 1,370 -167 1,361 98.6% 95.2%

Occupational Programs must review the update of their labor market data provided by
Institutional Research to illustrate that their program:
1.
Meets a documented labor market demand
2.
Does not represent duplication of other training programs (in the region)
3.
Is of demonstrated effectiveness as measured by the employment and completion success of its students
Two findings are significant about the data displayed in Table 1.1. One is the high retention rate and success rates of 95% of the students who enroll in one of the five courses or course sections of Fire and Technology. The other is a corollary of the data about the courses presented here in Table 1.1. For example, while the table does not reflect the results, students who participate in the Basic Firefighter Academy, likewise, have an approximate 95% rate of retention and success since the academy was created in 2001.
Five Year Enrollment Trends 2001-2005:
Besides the high retention and success rates in the Fire Technology discipline, the enrollment growth has increased substantially between 2001 and 2005. Table 1.2 displays the growth rate during this period of time.
1
Valid grade notations : A, B, C, D, F, CR, NC, W, FW, I or IX (Incomplete).
2 The Retention Rate is computed based upon the percent of students retained in courses out of the total enrolled in courses. The retention rate is calculated by dividing the numerator by the denominator and multiplying by 100:

Numerator: Number of students (duplicated) with A, B, C, D, CR, NC, I

Denominator: Number of students (duplicated) with A, B, C, D, F, CR, NC, W, I
3 Success Rate : Percent of students successful in courses out of total enrolled in courses. The success rate is calculated by dividing the numerator by the denominator and multiplying by 100

Numerator: Number of students (duplicated) with A, B, C, CR

Denominator: Number of students (duplicated) with A, B, C, D, F, CR, NC, W, I
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Table 1.2
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2001FAL 2002FAL 2003FAL 2004FAL 2005FAL
MOV NOR RIV
One may make several observations about the Fire Technology program between 2001 and 2005. First, the data indicate that rapid growth occurred between the fall 2001 and fall 2004. In 2001, the enrollments on the three campuses were essentially the same with fewer than two-hundred fifty students enrolled on any one campus. Second, in
2002, the enrollment on the Riverside campus outpaced the Moreno Valley campus by fifty percent and continued to spiral in the years 2003 and 2004, when the enrollment reached over than 1,500 students. By this time, neither the Norco nor Moreno Valley campus had a statistically significant enrollment of students in the Fire Technology discipline. Third, in the following year, 2005, the enrollment on the Riverside campus declined by 12% approximately, a decline that is attributed to severe fire conditions in southern California for the time frame. During these severe conditions, numerous students in the program, who are employed or volunteer in the industry, are in demand by their respective employers.
Although the enrollment pattern decreased in 2005, the trend of increased enrollment is expected to continue to meet industry demands for entry-level firefighting personnel and chief officers.
Labor Market Analysis
The Fire Technology discipline works closely with industry to assess labor market trends, and engages in annual labor market analysis to determine future education and training needs. This analysis provides a foundation for the discipline to estimate the types of courses and the frequency in which they are offered. Labor market analysis of the profession includes projections for entry-level positions as well as promotion, lateral opportunities, and sub-classifications, such as fire prevention, within the industry.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
The firefighting profession is a competitive industry for the student. In previous years, many students encountered stiff competition for entry-level and promotion opportunities upon graduation or completion of their studies. Today, the competition remains stiff, but the opportunities brought about by an aging workforce and a growing California make the industry favorable for vigorous hiring and job promotions.
Recent national studies indicate a firefighting workforce that is growing at a faster than average rate of 21-35 percent due to a growing population and a retiring workforce.
This is more thoroughly detailed in the following excerpt from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Handbook, which summarizes the future labor market trend from a national perspective:
EMPLOYMENT
Employment figures in this Handbook statement include only paid career fire fighters
—they do not cover volunteer fire fighters, who perform the same duties and may constitute the majority of fire fighters in a residential area.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 70 percent of fire companies are staffed by volunteer fire fighters. In 2004, the total employment in fire fighting occupations was about 353,000. Fire fighters held about 282,000 jobs; firstline supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers held about
56,000, and fire inspectors held about 15,000.
About 9 out of 10 fire fighting workers were employed by municipal or county fire departments. Some large cities have thousands of career fire fighters, while many small towns have only a few. Most of the remainder worked in fire departments on Federal and State installations, including airports. Private fire fighting companies employ a small number of fire fighters and usually operate on a subscription basis.
In response to the expanding role of fire fighters, some municipalities have combined fire prevention, public fire education, safety, and emergency medical services into a single organization commonly referred to as a public safety organization. Some local and regional fire departments are being consolidated into countywide establishments in order to reduce administrative staffs, to cut costs, and to establish consistent training standards and work procedures.
Job Outlook
Prospective fire fighters are expected to face keen competition for available job openings. Many people are attracted to fire fighting because (1) it is challenging and provides the opportunity to perform an essential public service, (2) a high school education is usually sufficient for entry, and (3) a pension is guaranteed upon retirement after 25 years. Consequently, the number of qualified applicants in most areas exceeds the number of job
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07 openings, even though the written examination and physical requirements eliminate many applicants. This situation is expected to persist in coming years. Applicants with the best opportunities are those who are physically fit and score the highest on physical conditioning and mechanical aptitude exams. Those applicants who have completed some fire fighter education at a community college and have EMT certification will have an additional advantage.
Employment of fire fighters is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, including entry-level and promotional candidates through 2014.
Most job growth will occur as volunteer fire fighting positions are converted to paid positions in growing suburban areas. In addition to job growth, openings are expected to result from the need to replace fire fighters who retire, stop working for other reasons, or transfer to other occupations.
Layoffs of fire fighters are uncommon. Fire protection is an essential service, and citizens are likely to exert considerable pressure on local officials to expand or at least preserve the level of fire protection. Even when budget cuts do occur, local fire departments usually trim expenses by postponing purchases of equipment or by not hiring new fire fighters, rather than through staff reductions.
Estimates for the state of California indicate the need for 6,900 positions for the period of 2004-2014. Regionally, within Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, it is estimated that 1,610 positions will be created for the timeframe of 2004-2012. These figures, though valuable, are less comprehensive than a local study completed in 2006.
A comprehensive Riverside County needs assessment conducted in 2006 by the
Riverside County Training Officers Association in cooperation with the Riverside County
Fire Chiefs’ Association identified the need for 368 firefighter and firefighter-paramedic positions within Riverside County alone. The same needs assessment indicated the need for 180 promotional candidates within all fire agencies within Riverside County for the same year. The discipline regularly attends monthly meetings with both organizations, during these meetings; it has been emphasized that the demand for education and training to support entry-level hiring and promotional candidates will continue for years to come.
Projected Population Growth for California:
Population data for California indicate that the need for firefighter training and education will continue to grow to meet local and regional needs. According to California census data, the state is expected to grow from its present population of 36,457,549 to a projected population of 44,305,177 by 2025. This net increase translates to demand placed upon Fire Technology programs such as the one in RCCD to provide entry-level
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07 education and training, and courses in continuing education for promotional candidates and degree seekers.
Earning Potential
Students will find firefighter wages to be above the average for California wage earners.
California-based firefighters tend to earn more due to expensive housing and other associated costs of living in California. Municipal and county employed firefighters are higher wage earners; whereas federal and state firefighters tend to make less and more closely mirror the national average. The following data present a federal average for the industry.

The average annual salary for entry-level fire service employees is $18.80/hour with an annual average salary of $39,090.

The average annual salary for first-line supervisors and managers is $29.25/hour with an annual average salary of $60,840.

The average annual salary for fire prevention inspectors and investigators is
$22.64/hour with an annual average salary of $47,090.
The following is a sampling of monthly salaries for municipal and county fire departments and what students may expect to earn upon completion of their studies:
Riverside City Fire Department: $4,547 (Firefighter), $7,992 (Captain)
Riverside County Fire Department: $3,800 (Firefighter), 5,800 (Captain)
Palm Springs Fire Department: $4,336 (Firefighter), $6,673 (Captain)
Employment for Basic Firefighter Graduates:
Tracking of Basic Firefighter graduates from the discipline has been done with limited success, so it is not clear as to how many graduates from the Basic Firefighter
Academy have become employed. Students are asked to provide employment information once they are hired with a department, but the return rate of these surveys back to the discipline has been minimal. The discipline recognizes this short-coming, and addresses it more thoroughly in the collaborative efforts and future goals portion of the paper.
Degrees and Certificates
Students enrolled in the Fire Technology discipline are usually seeking education for one or more of the following reasons: (1) to earn an associate’s degree or Fire
Technology Certificate; (2) to participate in an Academy (basic entry-level requirements and advanced skills attainment); (3) to continue education/professional development.
The following is a summary of degrees and certificates for the discipline and a description of how they support students with attaining their career goals.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Fire Technology Certificate
A certificate in Fire Technology is designed to provide a pathway for students to show an emphasis in fire technology, but not necessarily have this interest to be their main concentration during their academic career. This concentration, displayed in Table 2.1, is appropriate for students who seek careers as staff and other support functions within the fire service when a general knowledge of the profession is sufficient for their career success.
Table 2.1
Required Core Courses (23 Units)
Fire Technology 1 (3 Units)
Fire Technology 2 (3 Units)
Fire Technology 3 (3 Units)
Course Title
Introduction to Fire Protection Organization
Fire Behavior and Combustion
Fire Protection and Equipment
Fire Technology 4 (3 Units)
Fire Technology 5 (3Units)
Building Construction for Fire Protection
Fire Prevention
Fire Technology 9 (3 Units)
Electives (5 Units)
Fire Ground Hydraulics
Chose EMS 50 & 51 or from any elective courses
Additional Elective Courses in Fire Technology

Fire Technology 6

Fire Technology 8

Fire Technology 1 4
Fire Apparatus and Equipment
Strategies and Tactics
Wildland Fire Control
Fire Technology Associate’s Degree
An associate ’s degree in Fire Technology provides the student with a clear academic pathway and is recognized by the firefighting industry as a stepping stone to higher education. Students benefit from the degree because of the knowledge and skills that they acquire but also because of wage incentives provided by employers for those who possess or achieve an Associate ’s degree or higher. The curricula pattern for an associate
’s degree, displayed in Table 2.2, requires a total of 60 units, including required core courses and electives.
Table 2.2
Required Courses 60 Units Course Title
Fire Technology 1 (3 units)*
Fire Technology 2 (3 Units)*
Fire Technology 3(3 Units)*
Fire Technology 4 (3 Units)*
Introduction to Fire Protection
Fire Behavior and Combustion
Fire Protection and Equipment
Building Construction for Fire Protection
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Fire Technology 5 (3Units)*
Fire Technology 9 (3 Units)*
EMS 50 (5 Units)**
EMS 51 (1 Unit)**
Fire Technology Electives (6 Units)
Emergency Medical Services- Clinical
Various
General Education (30 Units) Various
*These courses are articulated in the 12 week accredited fire academy for students who choose this option.
**EMS 50 & 51 are requirements for the 12 week accredited fire academy.
Certified Firefighter 1- Basic Fire Academy
– 19 Units
Students who attend and complete the Basic Firefighter-1 Academy will receive a certificate of completion from the District. This certificate, which consists of nineteen units, shown in Table 2.3, can be used as validation of certified training and be submitted to the California State Fire Marshal (SFM) for a certified Firefighter 1 certificate. Earning this certificate is important to the student since many fire departments require the certificate for entry-level employment. This certification further benefits the student by guarantying that his or her training and education was taught with instructors and curriculum that meets the minimum qualifications and standards for the District, but also meets the minimum qualifications and standards for the California
State Fire Marshal.
Table 2.3
Required Courses
FIT-S3- 19 Units
Includes the follow individual certificates.
FIT-R3
FIT-R2A
FIT-S-1
FIT-S-3
FIT-S-14
FIT-S-16
FIT-S-7
FIT-C20
FIT-R-10
FIT-R1A
FIT-R7
Fire Prevention
Fire Ground Hydraulics
Emergency Medical Services-Basic
Course Title
Basic Firefighter Academy
Auto Extrication
Confined Space Awareness
Fire Control 1
Fire Control 3- Structural Firefighting
Fire Control 4a/4b- Oil and Gas Firefighting
Fire Control 6- Wildland Firefighting
Fire Control 7
Incident Command System-200
Rapid Intervention Crew Tactics
Rescue Systems 1
Trench Rescue
FIT-C19A
FIT-H2
FIT-H3
FIT-H4
Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations
Hazardous Materials Decontamination Operations
Emergency Response to Terrorism
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FIT-S4 67- Hour Wildland Firefighter Certification o Basic Academy Physical Conditioning Program
A student attending the Certified Firefighter 1 Academy will participate in the physical conditioning program. This program is designed to do two things: (1) to prepare students to perform the physically demanding aspects of the job; and (2) to create in the students a desire to maintain a high level of fitness throughout their careers. The physical conditioning program achieves these goals by providing instruction on the principles of physical conditioning, conducting a systematic series of conditioning exercises over the course of the basic academy, providing classroom training on the important aspects of personal physical health, and performing rigorous work as a sample test. The physical conditioning program is designed to educate and sensitize student firefighters to the need for a lifestyle of daily physical activity.
Fire Officer Program
The Fire Officer program, displayed in Table 2.4, is a series of courses that a student must complete to qualify for a Fire Officer certificate from the California State Fire
Marshal’s office. Students who pursue fire officer courses are typically seeking completion of a certificate for job enhancement or promotions within their work environment. Employers often mandate this training and education as a minimum qualification for those wishing to promote above the rank of Engineer within the industry.
The Fire Technology program at RCCD offers each of the ten courses required for the certificate but does not issue the certificate directly from RCC. This is a programmatic change will be addressed in the future and is covered more thoroughly in the goals of the program.
Required Courses 18.5 Units
Table 2.4
Course Title
Fire Technology-A1A (2 Units)
Fire Technology-C1A (2Units)
Fire Technology-C1B (2 Units)
Fire Technology- C1C (2 Units)
Fire Technology-I1A (2 Units)
Fire Technology-I1B (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M1 (2 Units)
Fire Investigation 1A
Fire Command 1A
Fire Command 1B
Fire Command 1C
Instructor 1A
Instructor 1B
Fire Management 1
Fire Technology-P1A (2 Units)
Fire Technology-P1B (2 Units)
Fire Technology-C30 (.5 Units)
Prevention 1A
Prevention 1B
Intermediate Incident Command (ICS-300)
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Chief Officer Program
The Chief Officer program, displayed in Table 2.5, provides for students a series of courses, which are typically offered for promotional candidates within their work environment. Employers often require this series of courses for those seeking executive-level positions within the organization. The Fire Technology program at
RCCD offers each of the eleven courses required for the certificate, but does not issue the certificate directly from RCC. This is a program change to be addressed in the future and is covered more thoroughly in the future goals of the program.
Table 2.5
Required Courses 20.25 Units
Fire Technology-C2A (2 Units)
Fire Technology-C2B (2 Units)
Fire Technology-C2C (2 Units)
Course Title
Command 2A- Command Tactics at Major Fires
Command 2B- Management for Major HAZMATs
Command 2C-High Rise Fire Tactics
Fire Technology-C2D (2 Units)
Fire Technology-C2E (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M2A (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M2B (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M2C (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M2D (2 Units)
Fire Technology-M2E (2 Units)
Command 2D- Planning for Large-Scale Disasters
Command 2E- Wildland Firefighting Tactics
Management 2A- Organization Development
Management 2B- Fire Service Financial Mang.
Management 2C- Personnel and Labor Relations
Management 2D- Master Planning for the Fire Serv.
Management 2E-Contemporary Issues & Concepts
Fire Technology-C40 (.25 Units) ICS-400
Additional Courses and Certificates
The following courses, shown in Table 2.6, provide additional job enhancement or entrylevel skills for students upon completion of their programs. These courses have been designed based on needs expressed by the firefighting industry and represent individual certificates upon their completion.
Table 2.6
Course
FIT-S2 (1.5 Units)
FIT-S21 (1.5 Units)
FIT-R1A & FIT-R1B (.5 ea.)
Course Title
Truck Academy
Public Safety Honor Guard
Technical Rescue
FIT-S16 (.5 Units)
FIT-S17 (1.5 Units)
CDF Wildland Firefighter
Volunteer Firefighter
The Fire Technology Discipline’s training and certificate programs offered at the Ben
Clark Public Safety Training Center are certified and accredited by California State Fire
Marshal (see overview below). The discipline works to integrate the State Fire Marshal standards into the curriculum that has been adopted, approved, and updated by
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Riverside Community College District prior to instruction. As a result, students are guaranteed that their training and education meet standards put forth by both organizations. Additional curriculum standards have been adopted based on the minimum standards of Cal-OSHA, Fed-OSHA, National Fire Protection, International
Fire Service Training Association, California Specialized Training Institute, and National
Wildland Coordinating Group.
RCCD’s Relationship to the California State Fire Marshal:
The Fire Technology discipline offers courses that require certification and endorsement from the California State Fire Marshal. The certification, similar to P.O.S.T. for law enforcement, is designed to maintain minimum statewide standards based on mandates from various federal and state regulatory agencies. The California State Fire Marshal’s office is in charge of setting minimum training standards, and is specifically tasked with taking broad mandates and standards set forth by federal organizations such as
Homeland Security and National Fire Protection Association and tailoring them specifically for the fire service in California. The following is an overview of the State
Fire Marshal as excerpted from their website:
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) fire service training functions is an outgrowth of the transfer of the Fire Service Training and Education Program
(FSTEP) from the Department of Education in 1978. Since that time, the
OSFM’s role has evolved from one of coordination of the statewide delivery system, working through and with community colleges and registered instructors. FSTEP is designed to provide both volunteer and career firefighters with hands-on training in firefighting, auto extrication, rescue, emergency vehicle operations, pump operations, and Incident Command
System. Upon completion of individual courses, students are issued a
California State F ire Marshal’s certificate, in addition to college units .
CALIFORNIA FIRE SERVICE TRAINING AND EDUCATION SYSTEM
The California Fire Service Training and Education System (CFSTES) was created in a continuing effort to establish coordination among the various elements that contribute to the development, delivery, and administration of training for the California fire service.
CFSTES Objectives:

Implement OSFM standards and requirements

Manage curriculum development

Accrediting courses leading to certification

Approving standardized training programs for local and regional delivery

Administering certification

Publishing instructor guides and supplemental materials

Maintaining liaison with individuals groups, organizations, and agencies involved in training.
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(See Appendix C for State Fire Marshal Certification Patterns)
Fire Technology Department Resources:
Resources for the Fire Technology discipline include faculty, staff, tools, equipment and facilities. All resources and courses are stored and offered at the Ben Clark Training
Center.
Fire Technology Faculty:
All courses offered in the Fire Technology program are taught by part-time faculty. The discipline employs approximately eighty part-time faculty to deliver the 150+ courses or course sections each year. It is the goal of the Fire Technology program to hire one fulltime instructor for the academic year 2008-2009 and a second full-time instructor by the academic year 2009-2010 to serve students more consistently, and to represent the department on various district committees such as Academic Senate and the
Curriculum Committee. Although the workload of the discipline can support additional full-time faculty, the discipline is well-served by the part-time faculty who strengthen the program by bringing current and relevant industry input into the program.
Tools and Equipment:
The discipline possesses equipment that is necessary to conduct education and training for the various Fire Technology courses. This equipment includes a fire engine, chain saws, breathing apparatus, turnout gear, and numerous other apparatus associated with fire technology courses. Presently, t he equipment is stored in two 8’ X 30” conex boxes, located near the outdoor training facilities for ease of access to tools and equipment, at Ben Clark Training Center.
Needs for the future include acquiring additional equipment such as radios, hand tools, circular saws, and other small equipment to provide students with additional experience and exposure to equipment they will encounter upon employment.
Fire Technology Facilities
All Fire Technology courses and programs are taught at the Ben Clark Training Center.
The facility includes:

10 Classrooms for instruction

150 seat auditorium

Hotel accommodations and student dormitories

Cafeteria facilities

Full television studios including two edit bays with satellite broadcast capabilities

Weight Room
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07

Staging Area

Scenario Buildings

Physical Fitness Obstacle course
Student learning outcomes (SLO’s) are listed in the course outlines of records with the
Riverside Community College District.
SLO’s are also developed in accordance with specific mandates from respective bodies that govern policies and procedures for the fire service. These mandates include: California State Fire Marshal, Cal-OSHA,
California Specialized Training Institute, National Fire Protection Association and
National Wildfire Coordinating Group. While the Fire Technology program has had a program of on-going assessment through these agencies, the assessment of student learning outcomes, as part of the program review process, is new methodology to the discipline at the Ben Clark Training Center.
Course Outline of Record (COR): The Fire Technology discipline has approximately
80 courses for which there is a COR. All outlines and learning outcomes were reviewed and revised in 2007. Prior to 2007, COR’s were revised as training mandates and learning outcomes evolved. It is the plan of the discipline to evaluate and update curriculum annually to assess SLO’s and their pertinence to student and employer needs.
Evaluation Inventory: Continuing education/professional development and academy courses survey each student at the conclusion of each course to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructor and the material as it relates to the student learning outcomes . Additionally, SLO’s from RCCD are compared to SLO’s from other institutions to assess where
RCCD’s program is in relationship to other Fire Technology program throughout California. Students are formally engaged by instructional staff in efforts to identify areas of learning that they identify as beneficial.
Assessing SLO’s In the Future: The fire technology discipline is currently developing additional assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness. The new assessments for the future will include an overall course evaluation, instructor evaluation, and postprogram evaluation to assess if
SLO’s were met, or could be met more efficiently in the future. The first of these assessments will involve assessment of the Basic Firefighter
Academy and will be instituted in the 2007/2008 academic year. One of the Student
Learning Outcomes for a firefighter cadet is the ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills in a fire emergency and the ability to implement a plan for the fire’s suppression.
The method of evaluation for mastery of this outcome will be the student’s demonstrating the skills and adequate performance during an emergency scenario.
Students will participate in a scenario-based problem in which they will have to analyze an unfolding emergency, and select a course of action to mitigate the emergency.
Evaluators will observe students on their ability to perform size-up, give a report on conditions, assign resources, implement the Emergency Command System, and perform fire suppression actions.
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F.
1. What kind of collaborative efforts have you made within and outside of the
discipline?
Collaborative efforts for the Fire Technology program include working inside and outside the district. Efforts inside the district include attendance and support of programs such as student financial services, occupational education and the district heal th’s benefits fair. The Fire Technology discipline also works in conjunction with the Riverside,
Moreno Valley, and Norco campuses to support students in their vocational education choices, and to support other program areas as a whole. The Fire Technology Program works with RCCD’s EMS program, as EMS 50 and 51 are prerequisites for the Basic
Firefighter Academy.
Outside of the district, the Fire Technology Program works closely with all local fire departments for industry expertise and insight. Affiliation with Riverside County Fire
Chiefs’ Association and Riverside County Training Officers Association, which is also the advisory committee for the Fire Technology discipline, allows for regular monthly meetings to discuss program priorities, industry trends, and local/regional needs. The discipline also collaborates directly with California State Fire Marshal to implement courses and programs at the user level. In the future this collaboration will include piloting new courses and updating existing courses to make them more relevant to today’s learner. Additional collaborative efforts include working to move course offerings to on-line or hybrid status when appropriate to do so, including Fire
Technology core courses and continuing education courses.
Recent collaborative efforts within the past two years have involved campus faculty members to assist in the development and implementation of the FAST TRACK
Associate Degree in Fire Technology. The FAST TRACK program was developed to provide public safety professionals greater educational accessibility to General
Education courses in a weekend format at the Ben Clark Training Center, which provides training and education to approximately 20,000 working public safety professionals per year. Many of these individuals need only to complete their general education requirements and a few elective courses to achieve an associate’s degree.
Weekend classes in an eight-week format allow students to complete these courses in a timely fashion and in an environment that supports their professional growth and development.
Finally, the Fire Technology program works collaboratively with other colleges and actively participates in the California Fire Technology Directors Association (CFTDA).
This organization meets four times per year to discuss and exchange program information, and evaluate other program areas that may impact or influence fire service training in California. CFTDA and the Fire Technology discipline at RCC have actively
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07 participated and contributed to the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education
(FESHE) project. This project works to articulate fire and emergency services training from the associate degree level to the doctoral level education. The associate degree in
Fire Technology is modeled after the FESHE model for core courses.
2. Collaborative Efforts for the Future:

Working with
RCCD’s Occupational Education Department to launch a monthly instructor development newsletter to update instructors on new information, and to support their efforts to deliver quality instruction by utilizing all resources from the district.
 Working with RCCD’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness to provide regular instructor development workshops to update and upgrade instructor skills utilizing expertise from other disciplines and outside the district.

Working with Institutional Research to develop two program assessment instruments: one to gain student employment data upon completion of their studies, and the second to assess employer satisfaction with RCCD
Fire Technology graduates`.

Working with Open Campus to develop hybrid and on-line instruction for the purpose of improving student access to courses.

Working with California State University, San Bernardino on the addition of a Public Administration Associa te’s Degree that articulates to the Cal
State program.
 Working with RCCD’s Public Affairs bureau to develop a marketing plan designed to attract underrepresented students to the program.
G. Outreach:
Outreach with local high schools and occupational educational programs is on-going.
On average, the Fire Technology discipline is involved in 2-3 outreach activities per month, including those on the Moreno Valley, Norco and Riverside campuses as well as off-site at local high schools and similar venues.
Outreach efforts outside of the discipline have included the program ’s participation as a member of the Homeland Security Regional Training Program. The team is committed to collaborating and promoting premier programs for awareness, preparedness, prevention, response and recovery from accidental, intentional and natural events. The goal of the program in the future is the creation of an associate degree in Homeland
Security.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Other outreach efforts include presentations to local groups or organizations on the Fire
Technology program, and participation as a host agency for Skills USA in 2007. Future outreach efforts include working with local Regional Occupation Programs and Fire
Explorer programs to foster education and training for students looking toward Fire
Technology as a career path. Focused outreach for non-traditional students is on-going for the discipline. Women, single parents, as well as island-males have been identified as underrepresented groups for the discipline.
H. Summary Analysis:
WHERE WE WANT TO BE: Immediate Goals for the Fire Technology Discipline:
The Fire Technology Program will:

Continue to utilize technology to improved business practices. This use includes online registration procedures for all students attending Fire Technology courses.

Continue supporting instructors in the use of Web Advisor including policy and procedures for all instructors at the Ben Clark Training Center.

Develop and update course curriculum as required by the district Curriculum
Committee and work in conjunction with other institutions that guide fire technology education and training to ensure program compliance with outside governing agencies when appropriate to do so.

Evaluate the validity and effectiveness of all educational programs through planning and needs assessment during the annual review process.

Maintain and enhance vocational courses through regular updates and assessment of mandates by California State Fire Marshal.

Enhance general education course offerings at the Ben Clark Training Center through the FAST TRACK Associates Degree in Fire Technology.

Develop an Early College High School Program in Public Safety with New View
Bridge and Rubidoux High Schools.

Continue to support the development of a degree and certificate program in
Homeland Security in partnership with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Fire, the Homeland Security Action Team in association with the Association of American Community Colleges.

Continue to update and improve course outlines of record and move them through the District Curriculum Committee.

Expand course offerings and curricular patterns to improve access to courses and increase the number of degree and certificate completers.
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Fire Technology Revised: 09/19/07
Where we are Going: Future Goals:

Develop part-time Basic Fire Academy to run September-June to accommodate students who are unable to attend the Academy under the present 12 week fulltime format.

Increase enrollment of non-traditional students such as women and minority males by 10% over the next two years.

Convert part-time temporary course coordinator or full-time permanent employee to match job growth and assist with part-time Basic Fire Academy in the future.

Develop and add academic value to the curriculum to provide students with academic transferable credit to UC/CSU.

Hire full-time faculty for the Fire Technology program to provide continuity of instruction for students and provide committee presentation for the discipline.

Develop a second associate
’s degree and certificate in fire administration/management designed to incorporate Fire and Chief Officer courses presently offered in the catalog.

Assist with master planning a Fire Technology facility for the future that will serve the students and the growing population.

Hire two full-time faculty for continuity of instruction and representation on
Academic Senate and Curriculum Committees. Current FTE’s for the unit would support this and more.

Change Student Services Technician position to Public Safety Students and
Programs Specialist (Fire Technology) to meet the needs of students. (See
Appendix D for job description.)
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Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Fire Fighting Occupations. 2004-2005 Edition. 23 April 2007
<http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos160.htm
>.
Occupational Information Network. O*Net OnLine. 23 April 2007
< http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/33-2011.01
> .
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