Fire Technologies

The Fire Science degree program provide students wishing to work in a municipal or federal government fire department. This degree includes courses designed to cover a wide range of subjects and covers the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) curriculum developed through the National Fire Academy. Students will complete Firefighter Level I certification, and Emergency Medical Technician-Basic certification through the State of New Hampshire as part of the degree program.

The Fire Protection degree program is designed for students wishing to work in the fields of fire prevention, fire inspection, insurance loss prevention, public fire education, installation and service of fire alarm, sprinkler and other fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers, fire investigation and other fire protection related careers.

Recent graduates have successfully transferred their Associate Degree credits to Keene State College, University of New Haven, Oklahoma State University, Granite State College, and other bachelor’s degree programs.

Students who complete the program will

  • have command of the English language; 
  •  have a high school diploma or equivalent;
  • not have a felony conviction
  • have reading comprehension skills sufficient to read and comprehend service literature;
  • have communication skills sufficient to prepare and present required reports;
  • have sufficient hearing to distinguish various sounds and noises;
  • have sufficient dexterity to perform manual skills;
  • have the ability to stand for extended periods of time;
  • have normal vision for reading instructions and course materials and for performing manipulative tasks;
  • be able to work in a fire, emergency medical or hazardous material environment;
  • be able to wear fire protective clothing and a self-contained breathing apparatus for an extended period of time;
  • have the ability to concentrate on the execution of treatment plans, assigned skills, and tasks as well as the integration and communication of this work for both short and long term periods of time;
  • have the ability to work in settings that may lend themselves to frequent interruptions and immediate crisis response;
  • have the ability to cope with a variety of stressors, including people-place occurrences, and demonstrate safe and required care for individuals and the workplace as a whole;
  •  have the ability to secure transportation to the NH Fire Academy and to other sites;
  • have the ability to consistently attend and participate in classes;
  • have the physical strength necessary for maneuvering and/or lifting heavy objects;
  • have the ability to climb and work on ladders, including heights above 100 feet;
  • have the ability to work in confined spaces while using self-contained breathing apparatus;
  • have the ability to exercise initiative and judgment while dealing with changing situations.
  • be prepared for employment in companies and organizations associated with fire protection;
  • understand policies and procedures involving workplace safety;
  • understand their role in the company that employs him/her and how it impacts overall fire protection.  
  • be prepared for employment in a fire department;
  • understand policies and procedures involving emergency responder safety;
  • understand procedures used on and off an emergency scene;
  • understand psychological factors associated with firefighting and emergency medical services.

Degrees and Certificates

Courses

FIRE124L: Principles of Emergency Services

This course provides an overview to fire protection and emergency services; career opportunities in fire protection and related fields; culture and history of emergency services; fire loss analysis; organization and function of public and private fire protection services; fire departments as part of local government; laws and regulations affecting the fire service; fire service nomenclature; specific fire protection functions; basic fire chemistry and physics; introduction to fore protection systems, introduction to fire strategy and tactics; life safety initiatives.

FIRE131L: Fire Protection Systems

This course provides information relating to the features of design and operation of fire alarm systems, water-based fire suppression systems, special hazard fire suppression systems, water supply for fire protection and portable fire extinguishers.

FIRE136L: Fire-ground Procedures

This course teaches the student basic fire-ground procedures including fire department organization, forcible entry, fire behavior, personal protective equipment, and other related subjects necessary for entry-level firefighters. Successful completion of this course certifies the student in Firefighter I through the State of NH Fire Standards and Training.

FIRE140L: Building Construction for Fire Protection

This course provides the components of building construction related to firefighter and life safety. The elements of construction and design of structures are shown to be key factors when inspecting building, preplanning fire operations, and operating at emergencies.

FIRE160L: Fire Prevention

This course provides fundamental knowledge relating to the field of fire prevention. Topics include: history and philosophy of fire prevention; organization and operation of a fire prevention bureau; use and application of codes and standards; plans review; fire inspections; fire and life safety education; and fire investigation.

FIRE180L: Firefighter I & II

This course teaches the student basic and advance fireground topics including fire department organization, fire behavior, personal protective equipment, fire attack hose handling, ventilation, rescue skills, incident command, vehicle extraction, water supply, and other subjects necessary for entry-level firefighters. Successful completion of this course provides PRO BOARD certification in Firefighter I and II through the New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission.

FIRE200L: Advanced Fire-Ground Procedures

Teaches the student advanced fire-ground procedures, incident command system, vehicle rescue and extrication, water supply, foam streams, detection systems, and other related subjects necessary for entry-level firefighters. Successful completion of this course certifies the student in Firefighter II through the State of NH Fire Standards and Training.

FIRE224L: Strategy and Tactics

This course provides the principles of fire-ground control through utilization of personal, equipment, and extinguishing agents.

FIRE225L: Emergency Medical Technician - Basic

This course covers all emergency medical techniques required of the Emergency Medical Technicians in the provision of emergency care with an ambulance/fire service. Successful completion of the course allows the student to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Technicians'92 written and practical examination.

FIRE 230L: Advanced Fire Codes and Standards

This course prepares the student to use fire codes and standards at an advanced level. An in-depth study of common fire codes provides the student with the knowledge needed to perform fire inspections and fire investigations, review fire protection system designs, understand electrical installations and have the resources to answer code related questions pertaining to fire protection.

FIRE231L: Hazardous Material Chemistry

This course provides basic chemistry relating to the categories of hazardous materials including recognition, identification, reactivity, and health hazards encountered by emergency services.

FIRE236L: Fire Investigation I

This course is intended to provide the students with the fundamentals and technical knowledge needed for proper fire scene interpretations, including recognizing, and conducting origin and cause, preservation of evidence and documentation, scene security, motives of the fire-setter, and types of fire causes.

FIRE237L: Fire Investigation II

This course is intended to provide the student with advanced technical knowledge on the rule of law, fire scene analysis, fire behavior, evidence collection and preservation, scene documentation, case preparation and court-room testimony.

FIRE238L: Advanced Emergency Medical Technician

This course covers the knowledge and skill of the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician to prepare the student for a career in the fields of Emergency Medical Services or Fire Science. Successful completion of this course and related clinical requirements enables the student to become eligible for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), cognitive and psychomotor examinations.

FIRE243L: Educational Methodology

Educational Methodology explores the learning and teaching processes. The course covers behavioral objectives, lesson plans, training aids, factors that influence the learning climate, learning disabilities, testing and measurement, method of instruction, and other pertinent topics conducive to the field of education. This course prepares students to complete the Fire Instructor I program with the State of New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission.

FIRE250L: Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply

This course provides a foundation of theoretical knowledge in order to understand the principles of the use of water in fire protection and to apply hydraulic principles to analyze and to solve water supply problems.

FIRE256L: Community Fire and Risk Analysis

This course provides training in analyzing data, identifying problems, and formulating objectives, analyzing casual factors, developing selection criteria, identifying alternative solutions, developing implementation strategies, and designing an evaluation plan. Upon completion, the student will be able to evaluate the community needs associated with all hazards, to select and evaluate the most efficient system in developing community fire protection programs, and to define and design a fire and life safety system for a jurisdiction.

FIRE281L: Fire and Emergency Services Administration

This course introduces the student to the organization and management of a fire and emergency services department and the relationship of government agencies to the fire service. Emphasis is placed on fire and emergency service, ethics and leadership from perspective of the company officer.