# Presentation: 499289

## Welcome to the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Conference!

## Establish an organization of post-secondary institutions to promote higher education and to enhance the recognition of the fire and emergency services as a profession to reduce loss of life and property from fire and other hazards.

**Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Consortium (FESHEC) Mission **

## FESHE Goals

- 2. To assist institutions in establishing relationships between degrees and professional certifications.

**FESHE Goals**

## 3. To provide national models for a collegiate curriculum leading to career tracks in fire protection, life safety and emergency services including associated allied professional fields.

- 4. To encourage the establishment of partnerships between individual educational institutions, and other local, state and federal fire- and emergency-related training agencies and organizations.
- 5. To promote quality assurance through mechanisms such as accreditation.

## 6. To further the concept of higher education and its positive effect in the overall mission of the fire protection, life safety and emergency services providers.

- 7. To promote the concept of integrated life-long education and training for fire protection, life safety and emergency services providers.
- 8. To collaborate with the National Fire Academy in meeting the goals stated in* America Burning* and other national initiatives that involve degree-granting institutions.
- 9. To enhance the professional qualifications and development of the faculties at the institutions offering courses related to these programs.

## 10. To encourage ongoing development of the quality, content and delivery of these programs. 

- 11. To encourage the exploration of innovative program enhancements.
- 12. To explore and facilitate the integration of technology in all aspects of the educational programs.
- 13. To impact the mission of the participating educational institutions.
- 14.  To promote inter-institutional recognition of courses.

## FESHE Conference Outcomes June 1-3, 2000

- National Survey of Academic Fire Programs

- Improved collaboration between the academic fire programs and national and state fire service leaders

- Model fire science curriculum:-Fire Prevention-Building Construction-Fire Protection Hydraulics-Introduction to Fire Protection Systems-Introduction to Fire Science-Fire Behavior and Combustion

## FESHE Pipelines

- Pipeline #1: Affect Learning in Academic Environments
- Develop for fire-related academic courses suggested classroom projects or assignments related to USFA goals or products and make them available to the FESHE network.

- A USFA video, research study or fire prevention product with a powerful, relevant message could be shown in class with a team-developed project or questions to prompt student discussion.

## 2.	Develop courses or convert selected resident courses for release to academic fire programs through the FESHE network. 

- 2.	Develop courses or convert selected resident courses for release to academic fire programs through the FESHE network.

- Provide community risk reduction and public fire education courses to produce future graduates who become a new generation of prevention-oriented leaders.

## Pipeline #2: Involve the FESHE network in USFA campaigns. 

- 1.   Use academic fire program coordinators as points of contact for information distribution to students and campaign coordinators for local action.
- Fire fighter safety campaign, including accidents to and from incidents, heart attacks, etc.
- College dorm fire safety programs
- Reaching Seniors

## Pipeline #3:  Involve FESHE network in support of fire research. 

- Use the FESHE network to integrate USFA/NIST research results into fire science programs, particularly the “model” curriculum courses.
- Include FESHE network (particularly baccalaureate and graduate programs) in research projects.

## Model Curriculum

- A recommended set of courses which serve as core requirements for any fire science associate degree program

- Common course titles and content can lead to a national core set of knowledge and competencies provided by the fire science programs

## Model Curriculum

- Moves fire service towards a national, unified system of training and education

- Minimizes duplication of effort

- Moves firefighting from an occupation to profession

## Partnerships in Training and Higher Education (Statewide)

**Certifi-**
**cation**

**Academic**
**Credits**

## Performance Measurements

- Number of states which adopt national T/HE model or develop their own
- Number of community colleges which adopt model curriculum
- Number of states in which collaboration between academic fire programs and state fire training occurs, e.g., meetings, jointly- sponsored activities
- Number of TRADE regions who include academic fire programs in their activities

## A National Training and Higher Education Partnership

**A National Training and Higher Education Partnership**

## USFA Training and Higher Education Partnership Objectives

- Promote collaboration between members at regional, state and local levels

- Develop a network of fire training agencies and academic degree programs

- Promote the sharing of resources, curricula and ideas for the mutual gain and benefit of participating network members

## What TRADE Can Do

- Discuss ways to collaborate with the academic fire programs within your regional meetings today, including:
- 	-Participation in future meetings
- 	-Develop statewide training and higher education 	plans which factor in the fire science model 	curriculum and certification and training 	programs

## Anticipated Outcomes from Collaboration

**Anticipated Outcomes from Collaboration**

- Adoption of a model curriculum for fire and emergency services-related degree programs and the formation of a national body of knowledge and critical thinking skills

- Partnering of the TRADE and FESHE Consortium leading to the formation of a national training and higher education network

- Improvement of academic degree programs

## TRADE Grants$150,000 	

- Objective #1 (of 3): Dialogue with 2 and 4-yr. educational institutions

- Identify available college resources for training and education
- Identify regional training and education needs
- Identify current employment education standards: Entry Level; Fire Officer, Chief Officer, Fire Chief;
- Review NFA Higher Education initiative

## Higher Education Plan Elements

- Recommended:
- Extent to which certification should be granted academic credit
- Levels of certification which should be granted, e.g., Fire Officer I for Management
- Number and types of fire-related courses
- General education courses