Fire Academy Level 1 (Technical Certificate)
Award: Technical Certificate
Specialization: Fire Academy Level 1
Program Code: 1167
About This Certificate . . .
The Fire Academy Level I Certificate is designed to prepare students for entry level employment in the Structural fire service as well as provide training and skills for individuals already employed in fire service that are interested in specialized training.
This program provides instruction that satisfies the certification requirement to take the State Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Firefighter I exam. The Academy instruction includes lectures at WCCC/CMU by seasoned firefighters, and hands-on practice at state-of-the-art live burn facilities.
The Academy student will experience operations such as house burns, car fires, forcible entry, and many others. If you are looking for a career in firefighting, or if you simply want to serve as a volunteer firefighter, this is an excellent place to begin.
Program courses will be offered in two formats, traditional lecture and lab activities and as hybrid courses (partially face-to-face and partially online). The Introduction to Structural Firefighting course is designed in accordance with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) standards.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit WCCC's Programs of Study page.
All CMU/WCCC technical certificate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, communication fluency, and critical thinking. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:
- Locate, gather and organize evidence and demonstrate basic principles of determining area or origin, cause of fire, and application of sound investigative principles. (Specialized Knowledge)
- Apply Chemistry and Mathematics principles to solve fire protection problems and concepts and demonstrate those methods to analyze and explain issues in quantitative terms. (Quantitative Fluency)
- Effectively evaluate a real-time fire or rescue situation to develop and communicate an effective incident action plan to the rest of the team. (Communication Fluency)
- Assess a dynamic fire scene including risk management profile, rapidly changing fire conditions, and life safety concerns to establish and implement an effective incident management strategy. (Critical Thinking)\
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Certificate Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU or WCCC Technical Certificates. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Consists of 5-59 semester hours.
- Consists of 100-200 level courses.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU/WCCC.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU/WCCC coursework.
- A grade lower than “C” will not be counted toward meeting the requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, credit for prior learning, cooperative education and internships, cannot exceed twenty-five percent of the semester credit hours required for a technical certificate.
- Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Certificate Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Program Specific Certificate Requirements
(16 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| FSTR 100 | Fire Fighter I | 9 |
| FSTR 103 | Fire Behavior and Combustion | 3 |
| FSTR 107 | Hazardous Materials Operations Level I | 3 |
| KINA 127 | Physical Conditioning | 1 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| FSTR 100 | Fire Fighter I | 9 |
| FSTR 103 | Fire Behavior and Combustion | 3 |
| FSTR 107 | Hazardous Materials Operations Level I | 3 |
| KINA 127 | Physical Conditioning | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a certificate. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for her/his intended certificate.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their certificate requirements (for one-semester certificates, complete in the first week of class):
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/registrar/graduation.html.
If a student’s petition for graduation is denied, it will be her/his responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.