Fire Science

This program is open to all interested students. Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as part of their degree program.

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

To qualify for the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Fire Science, a student must complete a minimum of 62 credits as prescribed and attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average).

The Fire Science degree program is designed to serve the needs of Philadelphia firefighters and volunteer firefighters desiring to progress in expertise, skill and rank. Philadelphia firefighters who earn the A.A.S. Degree in Fire Science receive an additional half point on all Philadelphia Fire Department promotional examinations. The Fire Science program also serves students interested in becoming fire service professionals in fire prevention, fire safety and pre-fire planning, meeting increased demands for skilled fire service personnel. They may work in pre-fire planning or as fire code enforcement officers, building inspectors, fire protection technicians and designers, fire prevention equipment sales representatives or technical experts, and fire safety officials or risk managers for businesses, school districts and government agencies.

Program course offerings accommodate diverse schedules. The program has a dual admissions agreement with Holy Family University that allows our students desiring to continue their studies in fire science to transfer all of their credits there with guaranteed junior standing.

Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate skills needed for leadership in the fire service or a position in a related field, such as code enforcement, pre-fire planning, building inspection, risk management, or emergency planning.
• Explain the various requirements for fire detection and suppression systems in differing types of occupancies and structures.
• Prepare a pre-fire plan for a building using computer-assisted design software to draw floor and site plans.
• Explain fireground strategy and tactics and identify the occupational risks firefighters face and the health and safety management strategies available to reduce injuries.
• Apply the principles of the scientific approach to fire investigation and explain the important role that fire investigation and fire prevention programs play in reducing a community’s risk of fire.
• Conclusively determine the type of building construction and explain how this interfaces with hazardous materials and their impact on operations at emergency scenes.