Fire Company Officer (A.S.)

The Fire Company Officer Associate in Science degree program provides comprehensive instruction in the skills necessary for success as a Company Officer/first line supervisor in the Fire Service industry.  This program is designed to meet the needs of in-service professionals interested in pursuing a supervisory position where an Associate degree is required in order to take the Captain’s promotional exam as well as those seeking to advance their knowledge in this area.  The major courses in this program are aligned with California Fire Marshal Company Officer model curriculum and all courses within the program are aligned with C-ID. Career opportunities after completion of the program include Fire Captain or Lieutenant.

15

Completer projections:

Restrictions on number of students allowed per classroom due to social distancing required by COVID-19 protocols will limit students to only 15 per class for the 2021-2022 year, though it is unknown how long those protocols will be required. This will limit the number of students who complete the major courses in the program in the first year to 15 or fewer.

 While 15 students will be able to complete the major courses each year, given that it will take most students currently employed in the fire service a minimum of two years to complete the additional general education and elective courses required for the 60 unit A.S.degree, completion estimates are as follows:

 Spring 2022 = 0

Spring 2023 = 5

Spring 2024 = 10

Spring 2025 = 15

AfterCOVID-19 restrictions are no longer in place, the college projects 32 students per class and that an average of 20-25 will complete all of the major courses annually. 

The Fire Company Officer Associate in Science degree is a Career Technical Education program created in response to requests from local fire agencies and industry partners. Many fire departments have established an AS degree as a minimum qualification for the position of “Company Officer” (Captain).  Oxnard College will be adopting Fire Company Officer curriculum from the California State Fire Marshal and offering it to local fire department and industry partners. By offering these courses,  Oxnard College will remain an industry leader in the delivery of education to fire service personnel locally and statewide.

This AS Degree is designed for in-service fire personnel to complete advanced coursework  to aid in the promotional process. Students enrolled in the Oxnard College Fire Company Officer AS Degree will follow the Oxnard College general education model and/or the CSU General Education Breadth pattern.

The Fire Company Officer AS degree has the following Program Student Learning Objectives:

·        Identify different levels in the Fire Company Officer Certification Track.

·        Describe the “Task Book” process.

·        Describe the state certification examination process.

·        Identify the duties of a Company Officer.

·        Describe, apply and follow human resource policies and procedures.

·        Identify step for creating a professional development plan.

·        Describe verbal communications used at emergencies.

·        Articulate the duties of a Wildland Fire Officer.

·        Describe state and federal laws that pertain to the role of company officer.

·        Describe the proper use of a record-management system.

·        Identify procedures for conducting a fire prevention inspection.

·        Identify construction and suppression features that contribute to spread of fire.

·        Describe importance of evidence preservation.

·        Describe basic fire cause and origin determination.

·        Develop an initial plan of action to control emergencies.

·        Describe standard operating procedures for emergencies.

·        Determine tactical priorities for emergency incidents.

·        Implement a plan of action for an emergency.

·        Evaluate wildland fire weather, fuels and topographic information.

·        Establish a clearly identified incident command post.

Required Core Courses                                                                                                        Units

FT R200           Human Resource Management for Company Officers - 2A                        2

FT R210           General Administrative Functions for Company Officers -2B                     1

FT R220           Fire Inspections and Investigations for Company Officers - 2C                  2

FT R230           All Risk Command for Company Officers- 2D                                               2

FT R231           Introduction to the Incident Comment System                                           .5

FT R232           Hazardous Materials Incident Commander                                                 2

FT R240           Wildland Incident Operations for Company Officers - 2E                           2

FT R241           Intermediate Fire Behavior                                                                            2

FT R250           Instructional Methodology                                                                             2

FT R251           Ethical Leadership in the Classroom                                                            .5

FT R160           Fire Tactics and Strategy                                                                                3

            Total Required Major Units                                                                                    19