As a result of the rapid changes in firefighting and the administrative duties currently being experienced in the field, academic degrees are being sought by those who have chosen firefighting as a career. Idaho State University’s Associate of Science Degree in Fire Service Administration (FSA) strives to enhance a student’s knowledge base as well as to prepare them for organizational leadership positions.
The United States Fire Academy Fire and Emergency Service Higher Education (FESHE) annual conferences led to formulation of a National Fire Science Curriculum Committee (NFSCC) working to attain the following objectives:
- creation of degree programs that teach critical thinking skills by requiring a significant number of general education courses, in addition to fire science courses;
- development of associate degree programs that are transferable to baccalaureate programs;
- establishment of a model fire science curriculum at the associate degree level that universally standardizes what students learn and facilitates the application of these courses toward certification goals; and
- collaboration between fire certification and training agencies and academic fire programs.