Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
School of Fire Protection Engineering Technology
Fire Protection Fundamentals
Subject Outline: FPF190
Subject Description
This course will provide an overview to the fire protection industry and the Seneca fire
protection program.
The history of fire protection, the fire problem in North America, and fire behaviour will
be studied.
The student will research the many private and governmental organizations that have
an impact on fire protection and life safety. Focus will be on governing and certifying
organizations that provide standards, codes or certifications.
Lastly, career opportunities in fire protection and related fields will be examined and
basic terms and knowledge related to these careers will be provided.
Credit Status:
One credit towards Fire Protection Technician or Technology Diploma Program.
Prerequisites:
none
Total Course Hours: 42
Required Text
CFAA (2011). Introduction to the Fire Detection & Alarm Industry. Markham, Ontario: Canadian
Fire Alarm Association
Reference Text
National Fire Protection Association. (2008) Fire Protection Handbook. (20th edition) (Volumes
1-2). Quincy, Massachusetts.
Cote, Arthur, P.E., Bugbee, Percy (1988). Principles of Fire Protection. Quincy, Massaschusetts:
National Fire Protection Association.
Jones Jr., A. Maurice, (2009). Fire Protection Systems. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar.
Page 1 of 10
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will reliably substantiate the ability to:
1. Explain the scope of the fire protection engineering technology program and how it relates to the fire
protection industry.
2. Explain how fire history has changed rules, codes and regulations and the ways we think about fire
protection.
3. analyze fire data and statistics, understand the fire problems in North America, and provide solutions
to overcoming these problems
4. Define terms used in fire behaviour, fire chemistry and the physics of fire
5. Recall the most influential organizations, agencies, businesses and associations for each sector of the
fire protection industry.
6. Compare the various career opportunities in fire protection and related fields.
7. Identify the importance of ethics and professionalism in the fire protection industry.
Essential Employability Skills Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
1. communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that
fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audiences.
2. reframe information, ideas, and concepts using the narrative, visual, numerical, and symbolic
representations which demonstrate understanding.
3. collect, analyze and organize relevant and necessary information from a variety of sources.
4. manage use of time and other resources to attain personal and/or project-related goals.
5. take responsibility for her or his own actions.
6. adapt to new situations and demands by applying and/or updating her or his knowledge and
skills.
Topic Outline
The course will examine:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
fire statistics and fire history
fire chemistry and behaviour
occupations and vocations in fire protection
fire codes and standards
ethics and professionalism
Page 2 of 10
Mode of Instruction
The following methods of instruction will be utilized in this course:




Lectures
Class discussions
Presentations
Videos
Mode of Evaluation
The assessment means and percentages for the course are as follows:
Initial Paper (5%)
2 Quizzes (5% and 10%)
3 Papers (20% each)
Final Assessment
5%
15%
60%
20%

All papers and the Final assessment must be submitted to obtain a grade of “C or
higher” for CFAA purposes.

Please see #4 in the addendum for the policy on missed quizzes and exams.

Being able to communicate effectively in writing is an important component of the
Fire Protection Engineering Programs. In support of English across the curriculum, up
to 10% of your mark on all assessments will be deducted for spelling and grammar
errors.
Promotion Policy
You must achieve at least 50% in the subject to pass.
Grading Policy
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
F
Page 3 of 10
90%-100%
80%-89%
75%-79%
70%-74%
65%-69%
60%-64%
55%-59%
50%-54%
0%-54%
GPA
4.0
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0
ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
It is your responsibility as a student of Seneca College to be aware of and abide by the
academic and behavioural policies outlined in the College Academic Policy and the
Student Handbook.
CHEATING AND/OR PLAGIARISM (Section 9 and Appendix E - Academic Policy)
“Cheating and/or plagiarism are offences that will not be tolerated by the College. …
The penalty for a first offence is a grade “0” on the work in which the offence
occurred. The penalty for the second offence is immediate expulsion from the college
for the remainder of that semester or longer, depending on the circumstances.
A record will be maintained of each cheating and plagiarism incident and the offence
will be recorded as a comment on the student’s transcript.”
For more information on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, go
http://senecac.on.ca/home/academic_policy/0607_09_cheat.html.- Academic Policy.
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT – See the Student Handbook
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is
free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this
objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be
tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Resolution, Equity and
Diversity Centre, Room D1301, Newnham Campus, ext. 22078.
ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The College will provide reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities in
order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the
Counselling and Disabilities Services Office at ext. 2900 to initiate the process for
documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.
Page 4 of 10
Addendum
Course Schedule
Week
1
Topics Covered:
History of Fire
2
Assigned Reading
Assessments
Text: Chapter 1
Text: Chapter 1
Intro Paper (5%)
Course Notes
Text: Chapter 4
Quiz #1 (5%)
History of Fire
3
4
Fire Statistics
Fire Behaviour
5
6
7
Fire Behaviour
Alarms
Sprinklers
Study Week- No classes
Code-Consulting Careers
Risk Management / Insurance
Prevention / Inspection / Modelling
Organizations and Ethics
Governing Standards & Codes
Final Assessments
Final Assessment / Exam Week
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Quiz #2 (10%)
RESEARCH and Text: Chapter 6
RESEARCH and Text: Chapter 7
Paper 1 (20%)
RESEARCH + Chapter 2
RESEARCH
RESEARCH + Chapter 5
RESEARCH + Chapter 1, 10
RESEARCH + Chapter 2, 3
Paper 2 (20%)
Paper 3 (20%)
Final (20%)
General Information:
1.
Instructor Contact Information.
You may contact me by e-mail at Anthony.vanodyk@senecacollege.ca
I am also available in my office in Room A3033.
My phone number is 416-491-5050 ext. 26148.
My class schedule is posted on my door. It is best if you please call, e-mail or talk to me so you
can be sure that I am available.
Please be courteous to your fellow students. This means no cell phones, MP3 players, or other
listening devices, arriving on-time and no eating in class.
2.
Schedule Information.
Note that the schedule lists the topics to be covered each week and the reading assignments for
which you are responsible. Therefore you know what topic is going to be covered and what
reading you should do before coming to class.
Week 1 is the week beginning Sunday, August 31st.
Page 5 of 10
3.
Course technical information.
All information about the course will be available on-line through your MySeneca site found at:
http://my.senecacollege.ca/webapps/login
If you have forgotten your login name or password, you can contact the student help desk by
the following means:
Phone: 416-493-9867
e-mail: Student.Helpdesk@senecacollege.ca
website: http://studenthelpdesk.senecacollege.ca
Not all information will be available on the website so attendance is important.
4.
Attendance and Grading
Attendance for all classes is expected and crucial to your success in the class. Attendance will
be taken each class.
If you are unable to attend due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, please contact me or
another student so you can find out what you missed.
If you miss an assessment due date, you must contact me within 3 days of that due date to
discuss what options are available. Documentation of why the assessment was missed must
be provided.
You must also contact me prior to the assessment being returned to students. The course
schedule shows when assessments are due so you know, in advance. It is up to you to contact
me and notify me you have missed an assessment.
I will make every effort to assist you in this class, but you must also make an honest effort to
attend and therefore, learn from this class.
Page 6 of 10
5. Academic Honesty Offences
Please refer to (Section 9 and Appendix E – of the College’s Academic Policy)
The following summary of offences is not exhaustive nor is it limited to the descriptions and/or
examples provided.
1. Giving students answers to exam questions during the exam or while leaving the
examination room, or telling other students who have their exam later, of the
questions that appear on the exam. (Cheating)
2. Having unauthorized material or electronic devices during a test or exam. (Cheating)
3. Using, giving, receiving or attempting to use, give or receive unauthorized information
during any form of evaluation. (Cheating)
4. Knowingly helping another student to commit an act of cheating by letting him/her
view your answers, by lending your work, or by working together on a project not
specifically assigned and or approved as a group effort. (Cheating)
5. Submitting as your own any material done, in whole or in part, by someone else.
(Plagiarism)
6. Submitting any work copied, in whole or in part, from another source, such as the
Internet, journal articles or books, without reference to the original author or source.
(Plagiarism)
7. Allowing your essay, report, assignment or computer files to be submitted by another
student as their own work. (Plagiarism)
8. Allowing another student to do your laboratory or field work for you. (Plagiarism)
9. Submitting as your own, in whole or in part, any work that is currently or has been
previously graded in another course, without the prior permission of the professor,
even if the student was the original author. (Plagiarism)
10. Submitting work with misleading references or data that do not reflect the sources
you actually used. (Plagiarism)
11. In group and/or team work, submitting work in which you know or ought reasonably to
have known that one or more components contain and/or involve an Academic Honesty
offence. (Plagiarism)
12. Changing grades or answers on an assignment for the purpose of re-grading.
(Falsification)
13. Falsifying, misrepresenting or forging an academic record or any other supporting
documentation, medical or otherwise, for the purpose of gaining any type of academic
advantage. (Falsification)
14. Forging a signature on, or changing an academic assessment or report. (Falsification)
15. Deliberately changing or damaging an academic work of another student. (Falsification)
16. Taking a test, an examination or any other assessment for another person, or having
another person take a test, an examination or any other assessment for you.
(Impersonation)
17. Obtaining an exam or test, in whole or in part, in advance of its administration, without
the permission of the professor. (Procurement)
18. Buying or otherwise obtaining reports, essays, assignments, or any other academic
work, for submission as your own. (Procurement)
19. Selling or otherwise assisting with the purchase and/or sale of reports, essays,
assignments or any other academic work for submission. (Procurement) 5.
Page 7 of 10
Assessment Requirements
Bonus Assignments
Green Citizen Certification (10%)
Attend a presentation during study week regarding the impact we have on the
environment. This is becoming an important aspect of all careers and designs. Having
this certification on your resume could be beneficial during the job application process.
Linked In (3%)
The profile must be complete and professional. This includes a profile photograph,
profile title, a summary about you, education, experience, and skills. There should be
no spelling mistakes.
Once the request to connect has been made, if I have not responded within a week, it is
because something is wrong with your profile.
I will only consider your first attempt to connect for bonus marks so please review for
completeness before sending me your request.
FPSA Involvement (3%)
You should join the FPSA and become a contributing member. I will speak with the
group to determine who has actually helped them and deserves extra credit.
Fire Research (2%)
This should be done on the Discussion Board on the course website. You should include
a link to a Youtube or article you have found that is about fire protection, in some way.
This posting should include several sentences indicating the reason why you have
uploaded it for the class to see.
Page 8 of 10
Research Papers
The course will require you to write 4 papers. All papers are due on Sunday, by 5pm,
on the indicated Week.
Submission of All Papers
1. All papers should include references from any source you used to obtain information.
Please see the library for proper referencing techniques.
2. The file name should be LastName_FirstName_Title.FileExtension
Example:
Gruchy_Derek_Intro.docx
or
Gruchy_Derek_Alarms.docx
3. After deadline, 10% off per day until a maximum grade of D (54%).
4. All papers must be submitted to obtain a grade higher than a D+ in the course.
Writing Clarity and Effort
These marks will come from the paper being well-written and meeting the length
requirements with appropriate amounts of detail.
Introduction Paper (5%)
Paper should be 1-2 double-spaced pages. This paper is a chance for you to explain who
you are and what your expectations are while you are here.
1. Where are you from? – you should indicate where you were living before you came
here.
2. What were you doing before Seneca? – indicate how you filled your days during the last
year. Were you working, attending high school, at another post-secondary, etc?
3. Why did you select FPN/FPT? – what made you come to this program? What influenced
your decision?
4. How did you hear about the program? – did someone tell you about this program? Did
you find it online?
5. What career do you hope to have? – when you graduate, what career are you hoping to
get right away? Explain why.
Page 9 of 10
Career Papers (2 papers)
Papers should be 2-3 double-spaced pages. Each of these papers will have you deciding
between several career opportunities discussed in class. Once you decide which one
you would prefer to follow, you will provide the information below.
1. Company Details – tell me about the company that you would like to work for, based on
the industry you have selected.
2. 2 terms + why – provide 2 “words or phrases” that would be used in the industry you
have selected. These terms should be specific to that industry (eg, do not use “fire” or
“hard work” since these terms apply to all industries).
3. 3 reasons for decision – give 3 reasons why you would like to work in the industry you
have selected (or why not). Each reason should be explained and justified why it is
important to you.
4. Research / references – any websites, articles, textbooks used for information should be
included at the end of each paper.
Final Career Paper
Paper should be 3-4 double-spaced pages and will be the basis for the final exam. This
paper will include all of the careers discussed in the course and which career you would
like overall. This paper includes all of the requirements from “Career Papers” plus:
1. Typical Duties – provide a description of what you think you would do on a typical day in
your dream job. What would you be responsible to do each day. Not the most exciting
or boring day…just a typical day.
2. Governing Organization – what would be an organization that would impact you on a
daily basis in your dream job? Provide some information regarding this organization.
3. Careers in Order of Preference – a list of all the careers discussed in class , in order of
your preference to work in those fields.
Page 10 of 10