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Course Description

This online course is 36 learning hours over twelve weeks, including 7.5 hours of live online sessions. It is recommended that students spend a minimum of 3 hours each week on course work. Students may choose to complete more hours of work on the course in order to explore the content in more depth. 


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

  • Week 1: Fire Operational Requirements
  • Week 2: Fire Flow Calculations and Essential Tools for Fire Suppression Operations
  • Week 3: Comprehensive Fire Prevention Strategies for Community Safety and Risk Reduction
  • Week 4: The Importance of Fire Prevention
  • Week 5: Fire Station Location and Strategic Decision-Making
  • Week 6: Fire Department Staffing, Deployment Standards, and the Role of Residential Sprinklers
  • Week 7: Managing Fire Prevention Operations and Staff Effectively
  • Week 8: Fire Prevention and Safety Inspections: Building Compliance and Community Safety
  • Week 9: Budgeting and Resource Management in Fire and Emergency Services
  • Week 10: Future Trends in Fire Prevention
  • Week 11: Political Astuteness and Relationship Building in Fire and Emergency Services Management
  • Week 12: Navigating Leadership, Ethics, and Politics in Fire Prevention Management

What You Will Learn

Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • lead the functions of a comprehensive fire prevention program within today’s fire service;
  • link community risk assessment to community risk reduction;
  • assess and implement innovative approaches to enhanced community resiliency;
  • appreciate and understand fire flow requirements in a municipality;
  • determine potential fire threats to occupancies/buildings;
  • explain decision-making requirements that apply to fire protection requirements; and
  • 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 Service 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 bypass 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 in Fire Program courses. The "Fire Service Experience Application" can be found within the student portal under "My Applications".

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

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Enrol Now - Select a section to enrol in

Section Title
Fire Prevention and Suppression Management
Type
Online - Self-Paced
Dates
Apr 10, 2026 to Jul 03, 2026
Type
Online - Scheduled
Days
Wednesday
Time
8:00PM to 9:30PM
Dates
Apr 22, 2026 to Jun 17, 2026
Schedule and Location
Total Learning Hours
36.0
Location
  • Online Campus - Atlantic Time
Instruction Delivery Method(s)
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $1,195.00
Required Software
A webcam and microphone/headset will be required for the live sessions. This course requires a Dalhousie NetID. If you do not currently have a NetID, a NetID will be assigned to you, and—after registration—you will receive an email on how to claim your account. Once you have claimed your account, you will login to the Student Portal under the heading "I have a NetID Username and Password" on the far left of the login screen.

Section Notes

This course has scheduled written assignments and discussions within the term time frame. There will also be five facilitated online sessions - click on View Details for dates. *Please note: Live session dates and times may be subject to change, but will be finalized six weeks prior to course start date.* 

The course site will be open at 4:00 PM Atlantic Time on the course start date.

Section Title
Fire Prevention and Suppression Management
Type
Online - Self-Paced
Dates
Sep 11, 2026 to Dec 04, 2026
Type
Online - Scheduled
Days
Wednesday
Time
7:00PM to 8:30PM
Dates
Sep 23, 2026 to Nov 18, 2026
Schedule and Location
Total Learning Hours
36.0
Location
  • Online Campus - Atlantic Time
Instruction Delivery Method(s)
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $1,275.00
Required Software
A webcam and microphone/headset will be required for the live sessions. This course requires a Dalhousie NetID. If you do not currently have a NetID, a NetID will be assigned to you, and—after registration—you will receive an email on how to claim your account. Once you have claimed your account, you will login to the Student Portal under the heading "I have a NetID Username and Password" on the far left of the login screen.

Section Notes

This course has scheduled written assignments and discussions within the term time frame. There will also be five (5) facilitated online sessions - click on View Details for dates. *Please note: Live session dates and times may be subject to change, but will be finalized six (6) weeks prior to course start date.* 

The course site will be open at 4:00 PM Atlantic Time on the course start date.

Section Title
Fire Prevention and Suppression Management
Type
Online - Self-Paced
Dates
Jan 08, 2027 to Apr 02, 2027
Type
Online - Scheduled
Days
Tuesday
Time
7:30PM to 9:00PM
Dates
Jan 19, 2027 to Mar 16, 2027
Schedule and Location
Total Learning Hours
36.0
Location
  • Online Campus - Atlantic Time
Instruction Delivery Method(s)
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $1,275.00
Required Software
A webcam and microphone/headset will be required for the live sessions. This course requires a Dalhousie NetID. If you do not currently have a NetID, a NetID will be assigned to you, and—after registration—you will receive an email on how to claim your account. Once you have claimed your account, you will login to the Student Portal under the heading "I have a NetID Username and Password" on the far left of the login screen.

Section Notes

Note: We are closed from December 24, 2026 to January 1, 2027 inclusive. Access credentials to the course site may be delayed for those who enrol during this time period.

This course has scheduled written assignments and discussions within the term time frame. There will also be five (5) facilitated online sessions - click on View Details for dates. *Please note: Live session dates and times may be subject to change, but will be finalized six (6) weeks prior to course start date.* 

The course site will be open at 4:00 PM Atlantic Time on the course start date.

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