Course Title: Fire Prevention Organization & Management (3082) Course Number: FST - 3082 Course Credit Hours: (3) Three Semester Hours Instructor Information: Bernard W. Becker, III, MS (937-751-7371) ccfdchiefbecker@yahoo.com Textbook: Carter and Rausch. 2007. Management in the Fire Service, 4th ed. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association. ISBN-13: 978-0763751692 Course Material: The National Fire Academy Fire Prevention Organization and Management Curriculum Course Description: This course examines the factors that shape fire risk and the tools for fire prevention, including risk reduction education, codes and standards, inspection and plans review, fire investigation, research, master planning, various types of influences, and strategies. Outcomes / Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe aspects of risk reduction education and overall community risk reduction. Explain the fundamental aspects of codes and standards, and the inspection and plan review process. Describe the fire investigation process and discuss fire prevention research. Discuss historical and social influences and describe the master planning process. Describe economic and governmental influences on fire prevention. Explain the effects of departmental influences on fire prevention programs and activities. Discuss strategies for fire prevention. Assignment Format: Course assignments/exercises must be submitted following the APA format (6 th edition) Class Participation: Weekly assignment and discussion question postings must be completed each week. Interaction between students is highly encouraged.
Academic Dishonesty: The work you submit for a grade must be your own. I will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty, especially plagiarism. Simply put, plagiarism is taking credit for someone else's work; taking credit includes receiving some form of favorable compensation for the submitted work. Please review the University of Cincinnati s statement on academic honesty and follow this accordingly. Grading Rubric: Because punctuality and following instructions is a key requirement for a Fire Service Professional, I encourage this quality in you by requiring that you complete your assignment on time, just as if you were in class each week. All assignments are due on their posted due date Assignment Percentage Assignment Percentage Week 1 6 Week 8 6 Week 2 6 Week 9 6 Week 3 6 Week 10 6 Week 4 6 Week 11 6 Week 5 6 Week 12 6 Week 6 6 Week 13 (Case Study) 10% Week 7 6 Week 14 (Final Exam) 18% Total 100% WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS Week 1 Module I: Concepts of Fire Prevention Methods This module is divided into three sections: Roles and Responsibilities of the Fire Marshal Describe the duties of fire service leaders; Explain the importance of organized and effective leadership to fire prevention. Risks, Perils, and Hazards State the role fire prevention plays within the fire department's mission; Explain how fire prevention is primarily a community-based strategy; State ways fire prevention activities can affect the community; and Identify potential problems and solutions to fire prevention issues. Fire Investigation Describe the rights, responsibilities, and legal limits of an investigator; and Link cause-and-origin investigation to the community's fire prevention program.
Written Assignment: Structural Fire Causes Review the data compiled by the NFPA related to structural fire causes: http://www.nfpa.org. Click on the tab for Research & Reports and read the information on Fire Statistics and Fire Reports. Choose any two structural fire causes that you think are relevant to and/or currently problematic in your community or jurisdiction. For EACH cause: Explain whether that cause would indicate a primarily individual or a community risk. Identify who you would target with a relevant risk reduction education program. Write one measurable, actionable fire prevention objective for this program. Briefly describe the fire prevention message you would try to deliver to this audience. Identify the groups in the community who could be helpful or involved in message delivery. Briefly explain how you could evaluate this program's effectiveness. Your written assignment should be 2-3 pages in length. Be sure to credit all sources. Week 2 Module I: Concepts of Fire Prevention Methods (Continued) This module is divided into three sections: Risk Reduction Education Differentiate between public education, public information, and public relations; Describe the elements of a successful public education program; and Explain the link between arson prevention, public education, and the community's fire prevention efforts Juvenile Fire-setter Intervention Programs Identify evolving issues in fire prevention education Describe the relationship between juvenile fire setters programs and fire investigation, inspection and plan review, and risk reduction education. Fire Research Describe the types of fire prevention research being conducted; Identify organizations conducting fire prevention research; and Correlate the relationship between human behavior research and fire safety and prevention. Discussion Assignment: Risk Reduction Programs Many communities have applied a number of fire prevention strategies to address physical, moral, and morale hazards in their community. Survey your community and describe some of the risk reduction activities that are occurring, including those outside of fire prevention. Talk about the effectiveness of the fire risk reduction program in your community and what could be done to improve its effectiveness. You should mention what fire risk reduction measures are not being implemented that you feel should be.
Participate in this discussion by responding in the discussion area for this course. After posting your original topic, follow up by responding to at least two of your colleagues with 125-word responses. Your postings must always combine your original thinking and opinion with authoritative references. Cite your sources, check your spelling and grammar, and make sure that your postings are well written. Week 3 Module 2: Concepts of Code Enforcement Codes and Standards Point out the major historical occurrences in code development; Contrast standards and codes; Compare the code-writing processes used in the U.S. and abroad; Differentiate among code interpretation, code revision, and code retroactivity; and Explain how state and national codes interface. Written Assignment: Fire Inspection Write a short essay on the following topics from Module II. Your essay should be two to three double-spaced pages in length. 1. Develop a flowchart or other graphic, which shows the building plan review process in your jurisdiction or region. From that graphic, identify the timeline and time limits that are part of the process. Describe any inspections that are required or otherwise occur for various types of buildings. Should changes be made in the overall process? If so, what kind? If not, why not? 2. Research the state laws relating to municipal immunity for your location. Under what circumstances could an inspector for your department be sued because of an inspection or the lack of one? What assistance would your governing body provide if an inspector or the department were sued? 3. Review the inspection priority system used by the state and/or your department's inspectors. List the priorities in order. Describe the frequency of inspections for each occupancy. Explain how the priorities and frequencies were determined. While less in-depth than a research paper, your essay should have a formal introduction, a statement of purpose on the first page, a body, and a conclusion. Be sure to credit all sources! Week 4 Module 2: Concepts of Code Enforcement (Continued) Inspection and Plan Review Define risk reduction and fire prevention; Using the definition of community risk reduction, compare your community's fire prevention and risk reduction programs with risk reduction principles; Survey a fire department's current fire prevention system; and
Analyze a case study to identify the fire prevention system components and their application in community risk reduction. Discussion Assignment: Codes and Standards The processes for adopting and reinterpreting codes and/or appealing an interpretation can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and/or from state to state. What is the process in your jurisdiction or state? Presume that you are working with a business owner in your community who is reopening a facility that has been closed for some time. Even though the building will be used for the same purpose, the codes have changed and the owner is required to meet current code. Describe how you might explain to the owner why the codes have been revised and why those codes must be met in order for the facility to reopen. Week 5 Module 3: Aspects of Fire Prevention Planning Historic Fires Report on significant events that affected fire prevention in both positive and negative ways; Identify individuals who have had a significant impact in fire prevention; and Identify publications that are important to fire prevention. Written Assignment: Master Plan Question 1 Write a short essay on the following topics from Module III. Your essay should be two to three double-spaced pages in length. Presume that your jurisdiction or community is considering the development of a master plan, and you have been asked to do some preliminary work that will influence that decision. Identify the people (by organization and/or position) that you would include on the advisory committee and planning team. List the sources of information you could refer to regarding the jurisdiction's true fire problem and describe the type of information each source could provide. Describe at least three goals of the master planning project and, for one of those, explain how you think it could be accomplished. Explain what would be necessary to implement the plan successfully once finally developed. Week 6 Module 3: Aspects of Fire Prevention Planning (Continued) Master Planning Highlight the history of master planning; List the steps involved in master planning; List the major advantages of master planning, and Identify the major obstacles to master planning.
Written Assignment: Master Plan Question 2 Write a short essay on the following topics from Module III. Your essay should be two to three double-spaced pages in length. Based on the following criteria, describe what would be found in your jurisdiction if a master plan analysis were done. Is there a particular area that is high risk? What is it and why is it high risk? What type of construction is most prevalent in your jurisdiction? Are there many structures with a high fuel load? How could the topography and climate of your area affect fire response and control? Week 7 Module 3: Aspects of Fire Prevention Planning (Continued) Cultural Influences Identify U.S. cultural beliefs and traditions that influence fire prevention, and Draw a relationship between cultural beliefs and traditions in other countries and how they affect fire prevention. Discussion Assignment: Fire Prevention Describe a recent fire incident in your jurisdiction or region (facility or location, cause, damage, losses, etc.) and discuss how that incident has affected fire prevention in your community. Include in your posting why you think the incident had the effect it did. As discussed in this module, involving people from a wide range of agencies and organizations to develop a master plan can have both positive and negative aspects. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of involving a diverse group in a master planning project? Would the concepts of master planning work in your community today? Why or why not? Week 8 Module 4: Influences on Fire Prevention Economic Influences Identify direct and indirect costs associated with fire; Describe the level of cost of fire in deaths, injuries, and direct costs for the U.S.; Discuss economic incentives that encourage fire prevention; Identify factors that help explain the disparity between the high aggregate costs of fire for the nation, states, and communities, and lower perceptions of fire risks and costs; Identify and describe policies and programs that affect the economic tradeoffs between fire and prevention by lowering the costs of fire for individual citizens, businesses, and communities. Written Assignment: Fire Prevention Programs and Personnel Question 1
Write a short essay on the following topics. Your essay should be two to three doublespaced pages in length. With the assistance of an experienced fire prevention person, research the training, education, experience, and certification requirements for both fire suppression and fire prevention personnel in a fire department with an eight- to tenmember prevention bureau. Provide an overview of the requirements for the two types of positions, and compare/contrast them Week 9 Module 4: Influences on Fire Prevention (Continued) Governmental Influences Identify the major federal agencies that have some responsibility for fire prevention; List the major U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) programs that support fire prevention; Identify the major state agencies that have some responsibility for fire prevention; Describe the broad parameters that allow the government to support fire prevention without infringing upon individual freedoms. Written Assignment: Fire Prevention Programs and Personnel Question 2 Write a short essay on the following topics. Your essay should be two to three doublespaced pages in length. How does your local department perceive fire prevention programs and the personnel assigned to them? What are the internal barriers and the positive influences for the fire prevention program? Week 10 Module 4: Influences on Fire Prevention (Continued) Departmental Influences State the benefits of having a mission statement; Offer reasons for and against fire prevention officers having law enforcement authority; Make an assessment of the importance attached to fire prevention in the community using current fire department data; Explain the importance of strong fire prevention leadership in the fire department if it is to have a positive impact on risk reduction. Discussion Assignment: Influences on Fire Prevention (All 3 discussion questions) Discuss the impact of contemporary media coverage on fire-related disasters in this country. How does the media's presentation influence public attitudes toward fire, its impact, and prevention efforts? Suggest ways that media coverage could affect public perception and drive prevention efforts. The people of this country have had a long history of trying to provide assistance for accidents and disasters through fundraising efforts, volunteer recruitment, and many
more methods. At the same time, there is a significant reliance on private insurance policies to help compensate individuals for their losses. How do you view the role of insurance companies with regard to fire prevention? Discuss whether fire insurance policies provide a legitimate means of protection for an individual's material belongings, or if insurance is instead "a means of spreading risk," by reducing the cost to an individual experiencing loss when damage occurs. As we have discovered in the readings from this module, certain economic incentives related to fire loss can actually limit the support for fire prevention programs in a community or region. What are your thoughts on state and/or local tax laws with provisions that allow individual taxpayers to deduct uncompensated losses from their federal income taxes? How does this affect fire prevention programs and attitudes towards them? Week 11 Module 5: Fire Prevention Policy-making Identify the key components of the definition of public policy; Identify six approaches to explaining public policy; Apply six approaches to how a choice was made in fire prevention; Identify and describe the processes of public-agenda setting; Written Assignment: Prevention Programs Question 1 Write a short essay on the topics from Module V. Your essay should be two to three double-spaced pages in length. Using the organized anarchy model as a guide, explain how you would apply the three policy streams to a fire prevention effort in your community before a disaster makes its need apparent. Week 12 Module 5: Fire Prevention Policy-making (Continued) Define and apply the three policy streams, problem, political, and policy, to a fire prevention effort; Define a policy "window"; Describe and apply forces creating a fire prevention policy "window." Written Assignment: Prevention Programs Question 2 Write a short essay on the topics from Module V. Your essay should be two to three double-spaced pages in length. Select a successful fire prevention program your community has adopted, one that has reduced risk. Presume that your community and governing body have begun to question the need to continue to fund and support this program. Use the concepts presented in this module to: Describe how you might go about assuring them that the program is necessary; Describe how you would go about sustaining support and effective implementation of the program.
Week 13 Case Study Written Assignment: (Following the APA format) For this assignment, submit a 1250-1400 word paper in APA format. Your assignment is to create a case study that addresses the issue of community fire prevention organization and management. You may use a real life event as the basis for your case study. As you write your assignment, demonstrate your ability to apply concepts from the text to your experience within your organization. Please use standard essay format including an introduction with a clear thesis statement; body paragraphs that include a topic sentence, supporting details, and transition sentences; and a conclusion that summarizes your paper. This paper will be graded on how well you present your analysis, the inclusion of specific terms from your reading, evidence of cogent analysis, and an error-free presentation. Week 14 Final Examination The final exam will automatically open on the scheduled date. The student(s) will have a five day window which to take the exam. Only one attempt will be provided to take the final examination.