Number of courses: 11 - 13 (depending on specialization certificate)
Total course hours: 342 - 362 (depending on specialization certificate)
Time to completion: Up to 9 years
Questions: openlearning@dal.ca
The Diploma in General Fire Leadership is offered fully online. Completion of two (2) required certificates and one (1) elective certificate is needed for graduation from this program. The diploma is designed to give Fire Service Officers the knowledge and skills to become leaders and managers within their fire departments.
Graduates of the Diploma in General Fire Leadership who have also obtained their Fire Officer II certification will meet the criteria for Fire Officer III.
Diploma Requirements
The diploma consists of two (2) required certificates and one (1) elective certificate. Click on each certificate name for more details and specific learning outcomes:
Required Certificates:
Electives (Choose one of the options below):
- Certificate in Advanced Fire Service Administration
- Certificate in Fire Service Human Resource Management
- Certificate in Operational Planning
- Certificate in Emergency Management
- Certificate in First Responder Health and Wellness
- Certificate in Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation Management
- Certificate in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Fire Service
- Certificate in Training Officer Education
Please note: The Diploma requires a passing grade of 70% in each course. See each course for applicable tuition fees and schedule. Some courses fill up quickly, and registration in one course does not guarantee your spot in another. You must register for each course individually to reserve your spot. Courses can only be used towards one diploma program.
There is an application for the Diploma in General Fire Leadership, which can be found within the student portal here, called the OLCD Fire Leadership Diplomas Application.
There is a separate application for Fire Officer III, which can be found within the student portal here, called the OLCD Fire Officer Accreditation Application. The application fee for Fire Officer III is non-refundable.
Prerequisites
Students who enrol in this program should have a minimum of 3 years of experience working or volunteering in the fire service. Before taking OLCD-FIRE0036 (Incident Command: Thinking and Acting), students should also take ICS 100, and ICS 200.
Language Requirement: University-level English language proficiency required in writing, speaking and reading comprehension. It is recommended that students have an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 overall or a TOEFL-IBT score of 90 overall for this program. Please see the following guidelines from Dalhousie University for more information: English Language Requirements For Undergraduate Admissions - Admissions - Dalhousie University.
Program Delivery
The program is delivered through the flexibility and convenience of Dalhousie's enriched and engaging online learning platform (OpenDal). Courses include group activities, live streaming lectures and project work. Course delivery is designed to provide maximum benefit and flexibility through online study.
Who Should Take This Diploma?
- Firefighters with at least 3 years experience working or volunteering in the fire service
- Firefighters who aspire to management roles within their departments
- Firefighters with Fire Officer II certification that would like to obtain Fire Officer III certification
Career Opportunities
The Diploma in General Fire Leadership can help:
- provide essential knowledge for the supervision and leadership of firefighters in fire stations; and
- instill a breadth and depth of knowledge that will enable participants to better manage their fire departments.
Recognition of Prior Learning
It may be possible to receive advanced standing in this diploma based on your prior learning from work or life experience. We provide two types of recognition of prior learning:
- Prior Certified Learning: Assessment of prior coursework or training through a provider, that is neither a university or college, for the purpose of advanced standing. Examples of certified learning may include military courses, accredited certificates, workplace training programs, etc.
- Prior Experiential Learning: Assessment of previous work and life learning that may be equivalent to learning outcomes of university courses / programs, for the purpose of advanced standing. Relevant prior learning may come from work or volunteer experience, participation on committees or boards, independent study, etc.
To discuss how to use your prior learning to apply for advanced standing, please contact rpl@dal.ca.