SYLLABUS FOR FIRT 1307
Title of Class
Fire Prevention Codes and Inspections
Semester Hours Credit: 3
Lecture Hours: 48
Location: ECRTA
Course Dates/Days/Times:
16 Nov 2015 – 1 Jan 2016
Instructor: Darrell Burton
Office Hours: (By Appointment Only)
Instructor Email: duran30@hotmail.com
Phone: Skype +12092751033
INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY
My name is Darrell Burton and I have been trained and certified in various levels of the
hazardous materials emergency response field. I completed my first fire prevention class back in
1997 at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Academy in San Angelo, Texas. The class was Fire
Inspector I and it was my introduction into the world of fire prevention and education. I have
since completed numerous fire inspector, arson investigation, public education courses that have
used throughout my career. I am a certified Fire Inspector III and I have performed a wide range
of fire prevention activities from fire inspections, code enforcement, teaching community
classes, and performing plans reviews for new building construction to ensure it meets code
compliance for fire safety. Fire prevention is considered the most important aspect of the fire
service, because this is the first line of defense to prevent a fire or emergency incident from
occurring through proactive vigilance. This class will hopefully prepare you and arm you with
the necessary knowledge to conduct responsible fire inspections and to enforce all applicable
codes.
I.
INTRODUCTION
A. This course is a study of the preparation of firefighters and fire officers to develop
public fire safety awareness. Emphasis on implementation of fire and public safety
programs in an effort to reduce the loss of life.
B. This is a required course for an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire
Protection.
C. This course is occupationally related and serves as preparation for a career in Fire
Protection.
FIRT 1307 – IS Fire Prevention Codes & Inspections – 8th ed. (10/14)
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D. Prerequisites: None
II.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course the student will:
A. Recognize fire prevention fire safety education and code enforcement as a major
responsibility of today’s fire service.
B. Outline the master planning concept and the administrative responsibilities of public
and private sectors in the fire safety field.
C. Identify the elements of fire protection, fire loss reduction, and measures people
should take in reaction to a fire.
III.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
A. The instructional materials identified for this course are viewable through
http://www.ctcd.edu/academics/booksinstructional-materials/
Student Textbook:
Robertson, R. (2015). Introduction to Fire Prevention. (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River:
NJ. Prentice Hall.
ISBN: (9780133843279)
IV.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
A.
Your first responsibility is scholarship. The grade you receive for this course will
not be the grade of the instructor, but rather the grade you and you alone make.
B.
You should attend online class regularly on Central Texas College (CTC)
Blackboard. Online attendance involves logging into your Blackboard class and
participating in discussions, submitting assignments, etc. Be prepared to also take
any unannounced quizzes relating to text assignments and lecture material presented
from the beginning of the course. Please refer to ‘Class Attendance and Course
Progress’ under the Academic Policies section in our current CTC Course Catalog.
C.
You are encouraged to give your best effort throughout the course. From the
beginning, you should plan for a steady, organized, and continuous effort, which in
the long run will prove more effective for your final grade than a last minute crashcram policy. Your course grade is not determined solely by exam grade. Such
factors as class participation, initiative, attendance, and individual research papers or
projects will be considered in grade computation.
D.
From time to time, special library and/or outside assignments will be made to
members of the class individually and/or in groups. You are expected to read all
assignments and fulfill your responsibilities to any group assignment.
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E.
You are expected to read all assigned material and bring your textbook/reading
materials to class. Keep informed on all assignments, especially after an absence.
F.
Good class notes are indispensable for earning a good grade, since both the material
assigned and that discussed in class will be the basis for examination material.
G.
Scholastic Honesty: All students are required and expected to maintain the highest
standards of scholastic honesty in the preparation of all coursework and during
examinations. The following are considered examples of scholastic dishonesty:
Plagiarism: The taking of passages from the writing of others without giving
proper credit to the sources.
Collusion: Using another’s work as one’s own, or working together with
another person in the preparation of work, unless such joint preparation is
specifically approved in advance by the instructor.
Cheating: Giving or receiving information on examinations.
H.
V.
Special Work: A term paper or other project, per requirements of the instructor, will
be required. The subject must be appropriate for the course material. Check with
the instructor when you have made a selection. The value is indicated in the
semester grade computation and has considerable weight on your final average.
COURSE FORMAT – BLACKBOARD
This course has been developed on Blackboard. It is the student’s responsibility to make
sure that they have access to CTC Blackboard and that they are familiar with the contents
and assignments. It is also the student’s responsibility to log into CTC Blackboard at least
once a week to ‘attend’ the online class portion and to participate in the online
Blackboard discussions and assignments. Failure to do so will violate the attendance
policy and will have a negative impact on the course grade.
The course will meet for six weeks. In addition, instructional strategies will include
weekly CTC Blackboard assignments and discussion boards to accomplish the remaining
instruction per week.
VI.
EXAMINATIONS
A.
There will be a minimum of two major examinations and a written paper or project as
follows:
1.
Mid-term exam due by Midnight 5 December
2.
Final exam must be completed by Midnight 1 January
3.
Term Paper due by Midnight 1 January
For your term paper you will discuss the history of fire prevention, the current
state of fire prevention, and what do you see the future of fire prevention and
code enforcement becoming in the next 20 years.
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Write a well-organized and thoughtful 2-3 page research paper. This
assignment must be 2-3 pages in length. The title page and reference pages are
not included in the required paper length. Your paper must contain at least
three (3) references, in addition to your textbook. References and may include
internet sources, books and professional journals or resources related to fire
prevention or the fire service. Students are required to submit the Paper typed
in MS Word using the APA Style format, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins
(top, bottom, and sides). The project must be submitted in 12pt. Times New
Roman font, and with proper APA heading guidelines followed. The research
paper must have a title page, and reference page.
This Paper is Due by JANUARY 1st Midnight!!!
VII.
B.
A student must take all examinations. Students who know in advance that they will
be unavailable for an examination due to valid reasons must arrange to take an early
examination. Unexpected absences due to illness or extenuating circumstances will
require the student to see the instructor about individual make-up work.
C.
Students without excused absences will be given a zero for the missed examination.
D.
Examinations will consist of both objective (true/false, multiple choice, fill in-theblank, and matching) and subjective (short answer and essay) questions. Students
must be able to communicate both orally and in written form, thus some questions
requiring the composition and writing of an essay answer will be required.
E.
Final exams must be proctored by your local Site Coordinator. Please set up a
time to take it in their office no later than the date provided by instructor.
SEMESTER GRADE COMPUTATIONS
The final grade in this course will be based on the following:
Assignments & Tests
Discussion Boards (mandatory)
Term Paper/Term Presentation
Mid-term Exam
Final Exam
Total possible points:
POINTS
900-1000
800-899
700-799
600-699
0-599
200 points
150 points
300 points
175 points
175 points
1000 points
GRADES
A
B
C
D
F
A term paper or term project is expected from all students. Students may vary in their
competency levels on these abilities, so the instructor may need to revisit the term paper
concept during the course.
VIII.
NOTES AND ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE COURSE INSTRUCTOR
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A. Tuition refunds are made only in the case of class cancellation or official and timely
withdrawal from CTC or from a course. Please refer to the current course catalog for
more details.
B. GoArmyEd students should contact their education counselor before withdrawing and
are required to withdraw through the GoArmyEd portal.
Please note: a military withdrawal does not override CTC’s grading policy.
For self-pay students, refunds are computed from the date the Application for
Withdrawal or Refund is filed with the CTC Field Representative or designated Student
Services Officer. Special conditions apply to students who receive federal, state, and/or
institutional financial aid.
Tuition and fees paid directly to the Institution by the Veterans Administration, Title
IV (Financial Aid Programs, a sponsor, donor, or scholarship shall be refunded to the
source rather than directly to the students.
C. Course Withdrawals, Student Responsibilities: It is the student’s responsibility to
officially withdraw from a course. The instructor cannot initiate a withdrawal based
upon a student’s request. Rather, students must initiate the withdrawal with the
designated Education Center Representative, through the CTC Field Representative or
the Student Services Officer for that region.
Applications for Withdrawal will be accepted at any time before the completion of 75%
of the course, after which time the student will be assigned an “FN”- “Failure for Nonattendance.”
D. Incomplete / Course in Progress Grade Policy: An “IP” or “Incomplete” grade may
be assigned by an instructor if a student has made satisfactory progress in a course with
the exception of a major quiz, final exam, or other project. The “IP” grade may also be
assigned based on circumstances beyond a student’s control, such as personal illness,
death in the immediate family, or military orders. Notice of absences, with supporting
documentation, may be required by the instructor. The instructor makes the final
decision concerning the granting of the incomplete grade. With an “Incomplete” grade,
students are required to complete a set amount of work before the instructor will submit
an official letter grade.
E. Cellular phones, beepers, and other electronic devices will be turned off while the
student is in the classroom or laboratory unless the student is using the device for class
purposes. No texting or social networking is allowed during class.
F. Instructor Discretion: The instructor reserves the right of final decision in course
requirements.
G. Civility: Individuals are expected to be cognizant of what a constructive educational
experience is and respectful of those participating in a learning environment. Failure to
do so can result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
IX. COURSE OUTLINE
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Note: refer to the course menu to the left in blackboard
Note:
The instructor has the right to change the course schedule. Any changes will be
announced in class. If the student misses a class period and changes are announced, it is
the student’s responsibility to receive the missed information from a classmate or the
instructor.
Assignments and interaction are via CTC Blackboard. It is the student’s responsibility to
make sure that they have access to internet so that they may communicate, via CTC
Blackboard, with the instructor. The class is broken down into six sessions. See course
outline and schedule for more specific details.
X.
COURSE SCHEDULE
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course the student will:
A. Recognize fire prevention fire safety education and code enforcement as a major
responsibility of today’s fire service.
B. Outline the master planning concept and the administrative responsibilities of public
and private sectors in the fire safety field.
C. Identify the elements of fire protection, fire loss reduction, and measures people
should take in reaction to a fire.
Weekly Schedule

Session/date
Week 1
16 Nov –
21 Nov
Theme/readings
Read Textbook Chapter 1
Read Textbook Chapter 2
Assignments
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and must be posted by Wednesday
midnight 11/18/2015.
Comments to other students not
required for the first week.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 01
Week 1 Assessment/Test due by
Saturday midnight 11/21/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 02
FIRT 1307 – IS Fire Prevention Codes & Inspections – 8th ed. (10/14)
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Week 2
22 Nov –
28 Nov
Read Textbook Chapter 3
Read Textbook Chapter 4
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and has to be posted by Wednesday
midnight 11/25/2015.
Complete a minimum of two
comments/reply to other students. Comments
must be a minimum 125 words each must be
posted by Saturday midnight11/28/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 03
Week 2 Assessment/Test due by
Saturday midnight 11/28/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 04
Week 3
29 Nov –
5 Dec
Read Textbook Chapter 5
Read Textbook Chapter 6
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and has to be posted by Wednesday
midnight 12/2/2015.
Complete a minimum of two
comments/reply to other students. Comments
must be a minimum 125 words each must be
posted by Saturday midnight12/5/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 05
Mid-Term Exam due by Saturday
midnight 12/5/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 06
Week 4
6 Dec –
12 Dec
Read Textbook Chapter 7
Read Textbook Chapter 8
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and has to be posted by Wednesday
midnight 12/9/2015.
Complete a minimum of two
comments/reply to other students. Comments
must be a minimum 125 words each must be
posted by Saturday midnight12/12/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 07
Week 4 Assessment/Test due by Saturday
midnight 12/12/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 08
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Week 5
13 Dec –
19 Dec
Read Textbook Chapter 9
Read Textbook Chapter 10
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and has to be posted by Wednesday
midnight 12/16/2015.
Complete a minimum of two
comments/reply to other students. Comments
must be a minimum 125 words each must be
posted by Saturday midnight12/19/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 09
Week 5 Assessment/Test due by
Saturday midnight 12/19/2015.
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 10
Week 6
20 Dec –
26 Dec
Week 7
27 Dec –
1 Jan
CHRISTMAS BREAK
Read Textbook Chapter 11
Read Textbook Chapter 12
Read Textbook Chapter 13
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 11
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 12
Review PowerPointLecture
Note Chapter 13
NO ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Discussion Board:
Initial post has to include at least 250
words and has to be posted by Wednesday
midnight 12/30/2015.
Complete a minimum of two
comments/reply to other students. Comments
must be a minimum 125 words each must be
posted by Saturday midnight1/1/2016.
Final Exam – Proctored by CTC staff
due by Saturday midnight 1/1/2016.
This must be scheduled with CTC
staff!!!
Research Paper – due by Saturday
midnight 1/1/2016.
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