Emergency Medical & Allied Health Programs: Fire Science: Course Descrptions

FSCI 102 Introduction to Fire Prevention (3)
A survey of basic fire prevention practices including the history of fire prevention efforts, hazard recognition and abatement, legal aspects of code enforcement, public education program development, research and development of fire safety standards and administration of fire prevention efforts.

FSCI 110 Firefighter I (3)
A introduction to basic firefighting skills and techniques.  Equivalent to Firefighter Section 1 training requirements of the West Virginia State Fire Commission.

FSCI 111 Firefighter II (3)
A continuation of FSCI 110 Introduction to Fire Service I, equivalent to Firefighter Section II training requirements of the West Virginia State Fire Commission.

FSCI 112 Hazardous Materials I & II (3)
This course provides the basic skills required to properly identify hazardous materials and respond in a defensive fashion to contain or control releases of hazardous substances.  This course satisfies the OSHA training requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 for First Responder Awareness and Operations.  Prerequisite: FSCI 110 & 111.

FSCI 113 Hazardous Materials III (3)
This course provides the basic skills required to properly contain and control releases of hazardous materials.  This course satisfies the OSHA training requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 for First Responder Operations.  Prerequisite: FSCI 112

FSCI 114 Fire Officer I (3)
This course is designed to provide the first-line officer the basic administrative and emergency operation skills needed for effective management of day-to-day department operations.  Topics include fire department structure, leadership, legal aspects, safety, labor relations, budgeting and information management.  Equivalent to Officer I training requirements of the West Virginia State Fire Commission.

FSCI 115 Life Safety Code (3)
This course is designed to familiarize students with life safety standards established for various types of buildings.  Topics covered include building use and occupancy, calculating occupant load, means of egress requirements, construction type, interior finish materials, and fire protection system requirements.   

FSCI 116 Fire Instructor I (3)
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to understand techniques related to teaching.

FSCI 117 Fire Instructor II (3)
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to develop performance objectives, lesson plans, instructional aids, evaluations systems, references and records, and reports.

FSCI 118 Fire Officer II (3)
Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to find ways to effectively manage human resources, community/public relations, fire department organization and administration including budgets, reports, and planning, fire inspection, investigation, and public education, emergency service delivery, and safety.

FSCI 119 Rapid Intervention (3)
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to breach walls, lift collapsed structural elements, perform hot SCBA changes, and perform valuable self rescue procedures.

FSCI 120 Principles of Extrication (3)
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to identity and safely use vehicle extrication tools on many different types of vehicles.

FSCI 121 Driver Operator-Pumper (3)
Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to determine how much water is flowing, give the nozzles in service the available pressure and available hose lines, and calculate pressures needed for a supply pumper, relay pumper, and attack pumper.

FSCI 160 Blueprint Reading And Plans Review (3)
This course enables students to read and understand blueprints used for the design and construction of buildings and fire protection/safety systems in various industrial applications.  Also covered are plans review techniques and procedures utilized for verifying compliance with various codes and standards.

FSCI 190 Fireground Strategy And Tactics (3)
This course examines the various tactics and strategies utilized during fireground operations.  Emphasis is placed on incident command and control, safety, personnel and resource utilization, accountability and communications. 

FSCI 201 Structural Design & Building Codes (3)
This course covers the fundamentals of structural design and the application of building code requirements to various types of buildings.  Included is a review of building code requirements as related to occupancy type, construction type, height and area limitations, fire protection system requirements, and use of fire resistive materials.  

FSCI 202 Flammable and Explosive Materials (3)
A introduction to the properties of flammable and explosive materials with emphasis on proper storage, handling, and use.  Also included are special considerations for mitigation of flammable and explosive material hazards under emergency conditions.

FSCI 203 Emergency and Rescue Operations (3)
This course provides students a fundamental knowledge of operational procedures, personnel requirements, and specialized equipment and resources required for various emergency and rescue operations. 

FSCI 204 Fire Inspection/Code Enforcement (3)
A basic understanding of fire and life safety codes, principles and protocol for conducting fire inspections and reporting and abating identified deficiencies.

FSCI 212 Toxic, Corrosive, Radioactive Material (3)
An introduction to the properties of toxic, corrosive, and radioactive materials with emphasis on proper storage, handling, and use.  Also included are special considerations for mitigation of toxic, corrosive, and radioactive material hazards under emergency conditions.

FSCI 230Fire Investigation (3)
This course provides the basic skills needed to conduct fire investigations.  Topics covered include fire behavior, fire cause determination, fire scene investigation procedures and techniques, evidence collection and legal aspects.  Upon completion of the course, students will be able to identify the origin and cause of a fire by using current fire investigation techniques and conduct a fire investigation in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

FSCI 242 Fire Department Administration (3)
This course is designed to provide a fundamental knowledge of fire department administrative practices.  Topics covered include personnel and resource management, financial management, legal aspects, organizational analysis, supervisory practice and strategic planning.

FSCI 251 Fire Service Occupational Safety & Health (3)
This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary for development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive fire department occupational safety and health program.  Topics include program administration, safety training and education, emergency operations safety, protective clothing and equipment, apparatus safety, medical and physical fitness requirements, and facility safety.

FSCI 270 Fireground Organization And Command (3)
This course provides an in-depth study of the model incident command system utilized for management of large scale and complex emergency incidents.  Included is a review of operations at natural and man made disasters requiring interagency and/or interjurisdictional coordination.  Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the operational function and preparedness, effective response, mitigation and recovery. 

FSCI 280 Directed Study (1-6)
This variable credit course allows students to pursue a Fire Science research project of particular interest.  Students registering for this course must have prior approval from the Program Coordinator for Fire Science.

FSCI 292 Internship In Fire Science (3)
This course involves practical experience in fire service organizations in which the student engages in on-the-site activities of a practical nature.  Interns learn how to translate classroom theory and methods into professional skills.  Activities are under the supervision of trained personnel.  Application for the internship must be made to the fire science program advisor.

FSCI 293 Fire Science On-the-Job-Training (1-13)
This course is designed to award credit to those persons who have participated in a supervised on-the-job training program in fire science. Credit is awarded upon receipt of a letter from the on-site supervisory stating successful completion of on-the-job training assignments and the total number of actual hours involved in the training. (Credit hours earned for On-the-Job Training are calculated as 1 credit hour = 150 actual hours. Therefore, a student must work 1950 actual hours to receive 13 credit hours.)

FSCI 295 Fire Science Degree Evaluation (2)
This capstone course is designed to “put it all together” for the student who is about to graduate with an A.S. in Fire Science. This course will evaluate the student’s knowledge of the program, including but not limited to: chemistry, industrial fire protection, emergency management, basic fire suppression, strategies and tactics, fire investigation, and management practices.