Fire Protection Technology
Fire Protection Information
Students enrolling in TVCC’s Fire Protection program who are current Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) Firefighters MAY qualify for tuition and certain fees exemption. See the financial aid office for details of the exemption.
Texas Commission On Fire Protection (TCFP) Certified Articulated Credit Option
A student may receive 12 semester credit hours for successfully passing the TCFP State Certification exam.
To receive credit, a student must have completed 12 semester credit hours in the AAS Fire Protection Technology degree, present proof that he/she has passed the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Certifying Examination, complete and submit a course credit form, and pay the processing fees.
A processing fee for this conversion applies. Contact an academic advisor the associate vice president of workforce education for more details.
EMSP-1160. EMT Basic Clinical. (1 Credit)
(1-0-0-4) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite: See advisor) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional. Upon successful completion of EMSP 1501 and 1160 and Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) requirements, the student will be eligible to take the Basic Emergency Medical Technician certification examination. Lab Fee $84 includes professional liability insurance, drug screening and scheduling package.
EMSP-1501. Emergency Medical Technician. (5 Credits)
(5-4-4-0) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite: See Advisor) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Preparation for certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Lab fee.
FIRT-1301. Fundamentals of Fire Protection. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Orientation to the fire service, career opportunities, and related fields. This course meets Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum core requirements.
FIRT-1303. Fire and Arson Investigation I. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Basic fire and arson investigation practices. Emphasis on fire behavior principles related to fire cause and origin determination.
FIRT-1305. Public Education Programs. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Preparation of firefighters and fire officers to develop public fire safety awareness. Emphasis on implementation of fire and public safety programs in an effort to reduce the loss of life.
FIRT-1307. Fire Prevention Codes and Inspections. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Local building and fire prevention codes. Fire prevention inspections, practices, and procedures. This course meets Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum core requirements.
FIRT-1309. Fire Administration I. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Introduction to the organization and management of a fire department and the relationship of government agencies to the fire service. Emphasis on fire service leadership from the perspective of the company officer.
FIRT-1311. Fire Service Hydraulics. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Application of hydraulic principles to analyze and solve water supply problems related to fire protection.
FIRT-1315. Hazardous Material I. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. The chemical characteristics and behavior of various materials. Storage, transportation, handling hazardous emergency situations, and the most effective methods of hazard mitigation.
FIRT-1319. Firefighter Health and Safety. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Firefighter occupational safety and health in emergency and non-emergency situations. This course meets Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum core requirements.
FIRT-1327. Building Construction in the Fire Service. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Components of building construction that relate to life safety. Includes relationship of construction elements and building design impacting fire spread in structures.
FIRT-1338. Fire Protection Systems. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Design and operation of fire detection and alarm systems, heat and smoke control systems, special protection and sprinkler systems, water supply for fire protection, and portable fire extinguishers. This course meets Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum core requirements.
FIRT-1349. Fire Administration II. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. In-depth study of fire service management as pertaining to budgetary requirements, administration, organization of divisions within the fire service, and relationships between the fire service and outside agencies.
FIRT-1353. Legal Aspects of Fire Protection. (3 Credits)
(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Study of the rights, duties, liability concerns, and responsibilities of public fire protection agencies and personnel.
FIRT-2309. Firefighting Strategies and Tactics I. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Analysis of the nature of fire problems and selection of initial strategies and tactics including an in-depth study of efficient and effective use of staffing and equipment to mitigate the emergency.
FIRT-2331. Firefighting Strategies and Tactics II. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. (Prerequisite: FIRT 2309) Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Emphasis on the use of incident management in large scale command problems and other specialized fire problems.
POFT-1301. Business English. (3 Credits)
(3-3-0) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. Introduction to a practical application of basic language usage skills with emphasis on fundamentals of writing and editing for business.
What Firefighters Do
Duties
Firefighters typically do the following:
- Drive firetrucks and other emergency vehicles
- Put out fires using water hoses, fire extinguishers, and water pumps
- Find and rescue victims in burning buildings or in other emergency situations
- Treat sick or injured people
- Prepare written reports on emergency incidents
- Clean and maintain equipment
- Conduct drills and physical fitness training
When responding to an emergency, firefighters are responsible for connecting hoses to hydrants, operating the pumps that power the hoses, climbing ladders, and using other tools to break through debris. Firefighters also enter burning buildings to extinguish fires and rescue individuals. Many firefighters are responsible for providing medical attention. Two out of three calls to firefighters are for medical emergencies, not fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
When firefighters are not responding to an emergency, they are on call at a fire station. During this time, they regularly inspect equipment and perform practice drills. They also eat and sleep and remain on call, as their shifts usually last 24 hours. Some firefighters may provide public education about fire safety, such as presenting about fire safety at a school.
Some firefighters also work in hazardous materials units and are specially trained to control and clean up hazardous materials, such as oil spills and chemical accidents. They work with hazardous materials removal workers in these cases.
Wildland firefighters are specially trained firefighters. They use heavy equipment and water hoses to control forest fires. Wildland firefighters also frequently create fire lines—a swath of cut-down trees and dug-up grass in the path of a fire—to deprive a fire of fuel. They also use prescribed fires to burn potential fire fuel under controlled conditions. Some wildland firefighters, known as smoke jumpers, parachute from airplanes to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
SUMMARY
- Firefighters
- 2021 Median Pay: $50,700 per year; $24.38 per hour
- Typical Entry-Level Education: Postsecondary non-degree award
- Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
- On-the-job Training: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of Jobs, 2021: 326,100
- Job Outlook, 2021-31: 4% (As fast as average)
- Employment Change, 2021-31: 13,900
- Other related career opportunities: Fire Inspector
Work Environment
When on the scenes of fires and other emergencies, the work can be very dangerous. When not on the scene of an emergency, firefighters remain on call at fire stations, where they sleep, eat, and perform other duties during shifts that often last 24 hours. Many work more than 40 hours per week.
How to Become a Firefighter
Firefighters typically need a high school diploma and training in emergency medical services. Most firefighters receive training at a fire academy, must pass written and physical tests, complete a series of interviews, and hold an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.
Pay
The median annual wage for firefighters was $50,700 in May 2021.
Job Outlook
Employment of firefighters is projected to grow 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 28,000 openings for firefighters are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
State & Area Data
Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for firefighters.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of firefighters with similar occupations.
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about firefighters by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
SUGGESTED CITATION:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Firefighters, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/firefighters.htm (visited February 14, 2023).
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Some careers in this field will require a bachelor's degree.
- TVCC's AA degrees are fully transferable to public universities in Texas. See an academic advisor or TVCC's university transfer webpage for more information on this transfer opportunity.
- Many of TVCC's AAS degrees lead to an online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree with participating universities. See an academic advisor or the BAAS transfer website for more information on this transfer opportunity.