Course Description
This course will look at how we plan, manage, and maintain fire prevention community safety programs, and how to apply theory and practical applications for community protection. Students will also learn about evidence-based decision making that recognizes that each municipality shall work within the applicable codes, best practices, and bylaw requirements to solve ongoing fire suppression requirements.
Course Outline
- Unit 1 - Provides an overview of management functions in fire prevention. These functions are no different than any other management activity: planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and evaluating.
- Unit 2 - Offers an overview of the environment of the fire service department’s fire prevention division. That environment includes:
- the insurance industry,
- the federal and provincial governments,
- local government, building representatives,
- and the fire service department excluding the prevention division.
- Unit 3 - Concerns the day-to-day issues confronting a fire prevention manager. Most of the attention is on maintaining effective programs rather than developing or adapting new ones. Nevertheless, much of this “maintenance” also requires thinking about the future by addressing the training of staff and adhering to the budget cycle.
- Unit 4 - Introduces several recent trends of the last decade, spanning from expanded fire safety public education to new ways of dealing with building representatives. It also includes other means to conduct inspections, such as in service inspections under the responsibility of the building owner.
- Unit 5 - Discusses the future of fire prevention through performance-based fire codes. The general societal trend towards deregulation has reduced the volume of rules and regulations, but in its stead is the professional judgment of the fire prevention officer. Moreover, community-based fire prevention may well change fire prevention officers into the facilitators of citizen involvement from being fire police.
- Unit 6 - Concentrates on defining ways in which the threat of fire can be objectively measured. It includes discussion of how you assign priorities to surveying buildings, and how these surveys should be conducted.
- Unit 7 - Examines the recognition of a community's fire threat. Since water remains the principal extinguishing agent, this unit primarily concerns itself with the calculation of Required Fire Flow. This constitutes the "demand" for fire suppression. The "supply" of fire suppression entails water transport. This issue is considered for above ground (primarily rural) and below ground (primarily urban) water transport systems.
- Unit 8 - Introduces students to the basics of analyzing data to assist in decision-making.
- Unit 9 - Addresses fire suppression location. This issue arises not only because urban sprawl requires more stations but also because fiscal restraint and municipal amalgamation can lead to station closure.
- Unit 10 - Tackles the issue of fire suppression management from both a rational and political perspective and explores the differences between these two approaches.
What You Will Learn
- To lead the functions of a comprehensive fire prevention program within today’s fire service.
- To link community risk assessment to community risk reduction.
- To assess and implement innovative approaches to enhanced community resiliency.
- To appreciate and understand fire flow requirements in a municipality.
- To determine potential fire threats to occupancies/buildings.
- The decision-making requirements that apply to fire protection requirements.
- To explore rational and political approaches in fire suppression management.
Notes
Enrolling in this course will automatically enrol you into the Certificate in Fire Services Leadership. Being enrolled in the certificate does not create an obligation on your part to complete it.
The Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development recommends an intermediate level of English language proficiency for the most effective learning and participation in our online and face-to-face courses. A list of minimum recommended scores on some common English tests can be found on our website. If you have questions about your English language proficiency and ability to succeed in this course, please contact openlearning@dal.ca.
Prerequisites
A minimum of three years of fire-related (career or volunteer) experience is required for enrolment into the courses that make up the Certificate in Fire Services Leadership. You are able to enrol in this course but you will receive a warning message when you check-out. Please click the "Continue Checkout" button to by-pass this warning and complete your payment. You can then apply to have the Fire Service Experience proficiency added to your profile to ensure smooth self-registration into the Fire courses by completing the Fire Service Experience Application.
Once your application and/or registration is received, you will be contacted by the Program to verify your experience. If you do not meet the requirements, your tuition will be refunded.
Prerequisite: A minimum of three years fire-related (career or volunteer) experience.Recommended For
- Firefighters with 3 or more years experience, specifically for those who are looking to advance in their careers.
- Junior and senior officers who wish to expand their knowledge and credentials through advanced or specialist certificates.
- Personnel looking to expand their understanding of fire prevention as a critical discipline within the fire service.
- Those fire service or industry professionals who may aspire to leadership roles at varying levels.
- Personnel interested in understanding this unique facet of a holistic approach to building and enhancing community resiliency to the many hazards faced in our built environment.
- Fire department personnel who would like to increase their knowledge of fire suppression management.
Applies Towards the Following Certificates
- Diploma in General Fire Leadership : Required - Certificate in Fire Service Leadership
- Fire Officer III Certification Track : Required
- Certificate in Fire Service Leadership : Required