Fire Science Courses: Bachelor in Fire Science Administration

The B.A. in Fire Science program consists of eighteen core courses and two electives, for a total of 60 credit hours. The curriculum reflects the most current trends and research in the area of fire and emergency services.

Core Courses: (18 courses, 54 credit hours)

FRS 302 Fire and Emergency Services Administration (Principles of Public Sector Management)

This course is designed to be a progressive primer for students who want more knowledge about fire and emergency services administration. The course demonstrates the importance of the following skills necessary to manage and lead a fire and emergency services department through the changes and challenges of the 21st century: persuasion and influence, accountable budgeting, anticipation of challenges and the need for change, and using specific management tools for analyzing and solving problems. A central part of the course focuses on how the leadership of a fire and emergency services department develops internal and external cooperation to create a coordinated approach to achieving the department's mission.

FRS 317 Legal Aspects of Emergency Services (Legal Aspects of the Fire Service)

This course introduces the Federal, State, and Local laws that regulate emergency services, national standards influencing emergency services, standard of care, tort, liability, and a review of relevant court cases.

COR 304 Catholic Social Teaching

An introduction to the social teaching of the Catholic Church through an examination of selected contemporary national and world issues in social justice. May include issues of life and death, poverty, violence and war, third-world development and others.

MCO 301 Media Ethics

This course will introduce students to basic strategies of a successful interaction with the media. The class is mainly geared towards media relations of public safety professionals, however provides general knowledge as well. Participants will experience different types of media and learn how reporters and other journalists work—especially when covering emergency incidents and public safety issues. The course explores reasons and techniques for an improved cooperation with the media. Aspects of the class include ethics, media policies, public speaking, interviews, strategic communication as well as a general evaluation of shifts in media technology and functions and their impact on media relations.

FRS 207 Applications for Fire Research

This course examines the basic principles of research and methodology for analyzing current fire-related research. The course also provides a framework for conducting and evaluating independent research in the following areas: fire dynamics, fire test standards and codes, fire safety, fire modeling, structural fire safety, life safety, firefighter health and safety, automatic detection and suppression, transportation fire hazards, risk analysis and loss control, fire service applied research and new trends in fire research.

FRS 326 Personnel Management for Fire & Emergency Service

This course examines relationships and issues in personnel administration and human resource development within the context of fire-related organizations, including personnel management, organizational development, productivity, recruitment and selection, performance management systems, discipline and collective bargaining.

FRS 209 Analytical Approaches to Public Fire Protection

This course examines the tools and techniques of rational decision making in Fire and Emergency Services agencies including data collection, statistics, probability, decision analysis, utility modeling, resource allocation, and cost-benefit analysis.

BLP 410 Diversity in the Workplace

Explores the dimensions of diversity and the challenges of managing an increasingly diverse workforce in both public and private sectors. Develops understanding of the impact of race, class, gender, disability and other differences on interpersonal, team and organizational behavior.

FRS 341 Fire Prevention Organization & Management

This course examines the factors that shape fire risk and the tools for fire prevention, including risk reduction education, codes and standards, inspection and plans review, fire investigation, research, master planning, and various types of influences and strategies.

CRJ 304 Drugs and Society

An exploration of the social issues associated with the use of legal and illicit drugs in America, this course will deal with a history of drugs, drug discoveries, commercial development, pharmacological and forensic classifications, the extent of drug use, and testing and treatment of drug abusers in the United States.

PSY 306 Abnormal Psychology

A study both of the development of the abnormal personality and of theories and research relating to causal factors in such pathologies.

FRS 365 Fire Related Human Behavior

The goal of this course is to provide students with knowledge of what we know about how humans respond to fire and how that knowledge has been integrated into life safety systems design and development. Students will examine current and past research on human behavior, systems models, life safety education and building design to determine interactions of these areas in emergency situations. Students will develop an understanding of best practice building life safety systems as one that combines knowledge in the areas of psychology and sociology joined with engineering and education to produce the best possible outcomes in terms of human survivability in the event of an emergency.

BIO 360 Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety

A survey of the broad field of occupational and environmental health and safety, with particular emphasis on current trends as influenced by the emergent global economy and growing interest in a holistic approach to human and environmental health.

FRS 415 Political & Legal Foundations for Fire Protection

This course examines the legal aspects of the fire service and the political and social impacts of legal issues. This course contains a review of the American legal system and in-depth coverage of legal and political issues involving employment and personnel matters, administrative and operational matters, planning and code enforcement, and legislative and political processes with regard to the fire service.

FRS 465 Community Risk Reduction for Fire & Emergency Services

This course provides a theoretical framework for the understanding of the ethical, sociological, organizational, political, and legal components of community risk reduction and a methodology for the development of a comprehensive community risk reduction plan.

ART Architecture

One three-credit course studying architecture will be included as a requirement of this program.

FRS 490 Measuring Community Services (Senior Seminar I)

Fourth year Core seminars are structured as a capstone experience under the theme "Seeking Integration". They provide an opportunity for all students to participate in an interdisciplinary seminar that integrates background in their major field of study with the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the Core Curriculum. The second seminar is intended to involve active learning through activities such as research, projects, service learning, or internships.

This seminar will involve group work to analyze aspects of fire department service delivery. It will consider outcome measures, individual measures, and citizen complaints, requests for services, conducting surveys, and measuring local government efficiency.

The seminar structure will allow students, working in groups, to select a set of issues to examine. Students will learn to identify and research pertinent laws, regulations, and codes that provide a framework for addressing potential future service delivery options. Group work may involve tasks such as research of current service delivery models, analysis of potential service delivery systems, and recommendations for fire based service delivery systems to meet national guidelines.

Each group project will involve a written and oral report, and the entire semester's work will be compiled in a summary report to be delivered to the professor. In addition, a PowerPoint presentation will be developed and presented to fire science students who have not yet completed a senior seminar.

FRS 491 Role of Fire Service in Disasters (Senior Seminar II)

Fourth year Core seminars are structured as a capstone experience under the theme "Seeking Integration". They provide an opportunity for all students to participate in an interdisciplinary seminar that integrates background in their major field of study with the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the Core Curriculum. The second seminar is intended to involve active learning through activities such as research, projects, service learning, or internships.

This seminar will involve group work to analyze aspects of fire department service delivery before, during, and after natural and man-made disasters. It will consider components of emergency planning and how the fire service can play an active role in each.

The seminar structure will allow students, working in groups, to select a set of issues to examine, using the ICMA's emergency management model: planning/preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation as a source. Students will learn to identify and research pertinent laws, regulations, and codes that provide a framework for addressing potential future service delivery options. Group work may involve tasks such as research of current service delivery models, analysis of potential service delivery systems, and recommendations for a fire based service delivery system to meet federal and state requirements.

Each group project will involve a written and oral report, and the entire semester's work will be compiled in a summary report to be delivered to the professor. In addition, a PowerPoint presentation will be developed and presented to fire science students who have not yet completed a senior seminar.

As in any seminar, a thorough understanding of the reading assignments expressed through active participation in the discussions is critical to the successful completion of this course.

Electives: (Any 2 courses, 3 credit hours each)

CIS 302 Public Safety Applications of GIS (Disaster Planning Track)

Students examine the use of GIS tools in the public safety arena, including the management of natural and technological emergencies, protection of critical infrastructure, and planning for optimal delivery of public safety services, including during large-scale planned events. Commonly used datasets and modeling tools are introduced.

FRS 351 Disaster Planning & Control (Disaster Planning Track)

This course examines concepts and principles of community risk assessment, planning, and response to fires, natural and man-made disasters, including NIMS/ICS, mutual aid and automatic response, training and preparedness, communications, civil disturbances, terrorists threats/incidents, hazardous materials planning, mass casualty incidents, earthquake preparedness, and disaster mitigation and recovery.

FRS 304 Fire Investigation (Fire Investigation Track)

This course is intended to provide the student with the fundamentals and technical knowledge needed for proper fire scene interpretations including recognizing and conducting origin and cause, scene security, motives of the fire setter, and types of fire causes. In addition the student will be provided with advanced technical knowledge of the rule of law, fire scene analysis, fire behavior, evidence collection and preservation, scene documentation, and case preparation and testifying.

FRS 404 Fire Investigation & Analysis (Fire Investigation Track)

This course examines the technical, investigative, legal, and social aspects of arson, including principles of incendiary fire analysis and detection, environmental and psychological factors of arson, legal considerations, and intervention and mitigation strategies.

FRS 355 Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations (Hazmat Track)

Provides basic fire chemistry relating to the main categories of hazardous materials. Topics include recognizing hazardous materials and their characteristics, including those related to health issues encountered by emergency responders.

FRS 455 Managerial Issues in Hazardous Materials (Hazmat Track)

This course presents the issues in the management of a department-wide hazardous materials program. It includes issues that are pertinent to officers and managers in public safety departments, including regulations and requirements for hazardous materials preparedness, response, storage, transportation, handling and use, and the emergency response to terrorism threat/incident. Subjects covered include Federal, State, and local emergency response planning; personnel and training, and operational considerations such as determine strategic goals and tactical objectives.

FRS 360 Principles of Fire & Emergency Services Safety & Survival (Safety Track)

This course introduces the basic principles and history related to the national firefighter life safety initiatives, focusing on the need for cultural and behavior change throughout emergency services.

FRS 460 Advanced Principles of Fire & Emergency Services Safety & Survival (Safety Track)

This course broadens the scope of the national firefighter life safety initiative and emphasizes their importance at the supervisory and managerial levels. Use of NIOSH reports, firefighter near miss reporting and best practices and lessons learned will enhance the student experience.

FRS 330 Contemporary Issues in Labor Relations

An examination of some of the major issues affecting labor-management relations in the U.S. The positions of the participants will be evaluated, as well as the probable effect on the economy. Some attention is given to issues that are expected to evolve and shape the future behavior of the parties involved in collective bargaining.

FR 420 Management of Emergency Medical Services

Introduces the students to the distinct aspects of Emergency Medical Services management. Topic will include liability, medical control, revenue development, quality of patient care, and communicable disease.

FRS 436 Critical Incident Stress Management for Emergency Services

Introduces the student to the multi-faceted area of interpersonal relations. Areas include crisis intervention, critical incident stress, post traumatic stress disorder, conflict resolution and professional relationships.

Request more information about the online B.A. in Fire Science or call 1 (877) 265-3201 to speak with an Admissions Advisor.