MCCCD Program Description

Fire Officer

Course: FSC220

First Term: 2018 Fall

Lec + Lab 5 Credit(s) 5.6 Period(s) 5.6 Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: T Lab Load

Description: Administrative methods applied to the fire service, departmental organization, and personnel management. Includes Incident Management System, fire service planning, and relationships with other agency departments.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Evaluate the challenges in transitioning from fire fighter to officer positions of increasing responsibility.(I, III) 2. Discuss general responsibilities and duties of a company officer. (I, III) 3. Create personal preparation plan for promotion. (II) 4. Incorporate and practice elements of time management into assignment and prioritization of daily tasks. (III, IV) 5. Explain integrity and ethical behavior. (III) 6. Discuss the impact of organized labor on individuals and organizations in the fire service. (V) 7. Demonstrate effective techniques for coaching, counseling, and motivating employees. (VII, XIV) 8. Identify employee discipline problems and recommend action based on department policies. (VIII) 9. Examine and model responses to the challenges inherent to leading a fire company. (IX) 10. State the need for community relations and community awareness. (X) 11. Practice conflict management skills. (XI) 12. Develop a pre-incident plan, incorporating elements from fire prevention code. (XII) 13. Produce a fire company budget including allocations for new projects and equipment. (XIII) 14. Demonstrate active listening skills with subordinate employees as well as with supervisory staff. (XIV) 15. Assume command at a simulated incident scene, initiate communications and effectively transfer command within the incident action plan. (XV) 16. Complete incident reports and conduct interviews to document information gathered at the incident scene. (XV) 17. Compare and contrast the fire station as a municipal work location versus a fire fighter home. (III) 18. State the role of the company officer in implementing safety policies and procedures. (VI, XVI) 19. Conduct risk-benefit analysis of fire attack for supervising both single fire company as well as multiple companies. (XVI) 20. Model steps for determining cause of fire, identifying circumstances when fire investigator assistance would be required. (XVII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Fire Officer A. Roles and responsibilities of the Fire Officer I & II B. Fire Department Organization C. Functions of management D. Rules and regulation, policies, and standard operating procedures E. Working with other organizations II. Preparing for Promotion A. Promotional Exam Preparation B. Elements of exam C. Components of an Assessment Center D. Study techniques III. Fire fighters and the Fire Officer A. Fire Officer¿s vital tasks B. Typical fire station workday C. Transition from Fire fighter to Fire Officer D. Fire officer working relationship with his/her supervisor E. Integrity and Ethical behavior F. Workplace diversity G. Fire station as work location and home IV. Understanding People: Management Concepts A. Principles of Supervision B. Basic human resource management C. Assigning tasks and projects D. Time management V. Organized Labor A. Impact on safety, work conditions and procedures B. Diminished benefits of strikes C. Benefits of political activism D. Grievance process VI. Safety and Risk Management A. Common causes of personal injury and accidents B. Role of Incident Safety Officer C. Safety policies, procedures and basic workplace safety D. Components of infectious disease control program E. Accident investigation VII. Training and Coaching A. Accreditation for certification programs B. Job instruction training C. Difference between competence and confidence in individual skill sets D. Effect of federal regulations on training E. Training program development VIII. Evaluation and Discipline A. Supervision of probationary fire fighters B. Fire fighter performance documentation 1. Performance log 2. T-account C. Notification of substandard evaluation D. Progressive discipline E. Written reprimand components F. Employee assistance program services IX. Leading the Fire Company A. Leadership styles B. How to motivate C. Leadership in routine situations D. Emergency scene leadership E. Challenges in the 21st century X. Working in the Community A. Community demographics B. Risk reduction C. Public inquiries D. Public safety education program E. Local public education program development F. Media relations 1. Developing a relationship with media 2. Proactive media communications 3. Interviews with media 4. News releases XI. Handling Problems, Conflicts, and Mistakes A. Conflict management B. Citizen complaints C. Policy changes and policy recommendations D. Policy implementation E. Customer service distinct from customer satisfaction XII. Pre-incident Planning and Code Enforcement A. Pre-incident plan development B. Built-in fire protection systems C. Fire code compliance inspections D. Building construction referenced in fire prevention code E. Inspection preparation F. General inspection requirements XIII. Budgeting A. Operational expenses B. New projects, equipment C. Repairs and maintenance D. Personnel costs E. Budgeting systems F. Purchasing laws, policies, and procedures XIV. Fire Officer Communications A. The communication cycle B. Listening skills improvement 1. Active listening C. Conditions that interfere with verbal communications D. Formal and informal communication E. Reports 1. Routine 2. Infrequent F. Crew Resource Management 1. Origins of crew management 2. Human factors contributing to tragedy 3. Successful debriefing XV. Managing Incidents A. National Incident Management System (NIMS) 1. Fire fighter safety and accountability within NIMS 2. Use of sector/divisions/groups within NIMS B. Role and elements of NIMS National Response Framework C. ¿Two-in-two-out¿ rule D. Effective transfer of command E. Fire officer¿s role in the incident management 1. Task level incident management 2. Post Incident review F. Documentation 1. Information gathering 2. Conducting interviews 3. Incident report XVI. Fire A. Supervision 1. Single company 2. Multiple companies B. Size up the incident C. Risk-benefit analysis D. Determining fire flow E. Incident action plan F. Assigning resources G. Tactical safety considerations H. General structure fire considerations XVII. Fire Cause Determination A. Role of the fire officer B. Common causes C. Fire investigator requests D. Finding point of origin E. Fire patterns F. Fire cause 1. Classifications G. Conducting interviews H. Arson I. Legal considerations

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 12/8/2009

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.