Programs handbooks

Fire Protection Technology: Academic overview

Learning outcomes

Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree and Career Pathway Certificate Outcomes

Curriculum

The Fire Protection program primarily uses the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA Fire) Curriculum. Course descriptions can be found in the catalog and the Course Content and Outcome Guides (CCOGs) provide details of the particular course outcomes and content for each course. Each course has a syllabus which describes the assessment components of the course.

Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree

A total of 91 credit hours of coursework is required. The list of required courses can be found on the PCC Catalog Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree page. The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree is designed for those students who successfully complete an approved program in an Applied Science Field (e.g. Fire Protection Technology) plus a minimum of 16-quarter hours of general education. Check the college catalog Associate Degree Requirements – Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) page for additional information.

Fire Protection Technology Career Pathway Certificate

A total of 34 credit hours of coursework is required. The list of required courses can be found on the PCC Catalog Fire Protection Technology Career Pathway Certificate page.

All students are provided with a list of courses to be taken by term throughout the program. Students should sign up for all the courses on that list for the current term unless:

All students have a customized term-by-term schedule that is listed in GRAD Plan in MyPCC. Deviating from this plan may delay graduation since the student may not complete prerequisites for future courses that are offered once a year. If a student is not able to register for a course on their plan, contact the Fire Protection program advisor or instructor for assistance.

Grading

See the College policies section for the Portland Community College academic standards and refer to the PCC Grading Guidelines.

In the FP program, students must maintain a “C” or “P” or better) in all prerequisite courses in order to continue to progress through the program and be eligible for the Associate of Applied Science degree. A maximum of 24 credits of “P” grades will apply to this degree.

Students who do not maintain a “C” or “P” or better in one or more courses will be contacted by the program director or advisor about their status in the program and what needs to occur to continue in the program. A student receiving a course grade below a “C” or an “NP” will need to retake the course.

The grading scale used for each class in the FP program will be included in the individual course syllabus and is listed below.

Grading scale
  • A: Superior, 90 – 100 %
  • B: Above Average, 80 – 89 %
  • C: Average, 70 – 79 %
  • D: Substandard, 60 – 69 %
  • F: Failure, under 60

Symbols routinely used for grading and the conditions under which these may be applied are listed in the college catalog and in the schedule each term.

Exams

Refer to the Fire Protection Technology Certification webpage for information on testing for certification. The International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) test dates are provided at the end of each course. The testing fees are separate from PCC’s course tuition. Registration for the test can be accessed through the links for the individual tests such as Fire Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations, Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Fire Instructor I, and Fire Officer I listed on the Certification page linked above.

Students who do not pass the written test with a 70% or better will be given one more attempt to retest. There is a minimum wait period of twenty-one days with a maximum of one year for the retest.

Skills testing will focus on skills covered in the book from the class. These skills are randomly selected for IFSAC test days. Students who do not pass a skill section will be given another opportunity to reattempt. This will be done with a different evaluator. If the student does not pass, the student will have to retest all the skills. There is a minimum wait period of twenty-one days with a maximum of one year for the retest.

Competencies for graduation

Currently, the PCC FP program is not competency-based, however, the program is in the process of converting to a competency-based program that will reflect the IFSAC requirements and The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements. Each certification offered will have Job Performance Requirements (JPR) that will meet the NFPA requirements.

Advising and counseling

The FP program director is available to all FP students for advising. Please email them directly to set up a time to meet either on campus or on Zoom. Stay connected and meet regularly with one of the program advisors listed in the program Contacts section. Refer to the PCC Advising webpage for more information.

Professionally trained counselors are also available to assist students. Help is available for matters such as learning difficulties and study skills, development, and exploration, as well as for family, personal, and social problems. Counselors are a good source of information about the college and its programs, community resources, etc. The Counseling office at the Cascade Campus is in the Student Services Building and they can be reached at 971-722-5271. A referral to a counselor can be made through the program staff if desired.

Learning support

Refer to the Support services section to find resources from PCC. FP course instructors are available for conferences concerning assignments, tests, course content, course progress, etc. Each course syllabus will state office hours available to meet with the instructor on campus or through Zoom if needed. Appointments should be made with instructors and/or to verify advising times.

Options to remediate

FP program instructors are available to all students to ensure student success. If a student is having difficulties, first they need to contact the instructor directly, if no resolution is made, then the student should contact the FP faculty department chair/program director. If there is still no acceptable resolution, then the student may contact the program dean for assistance.

Withdrawal and re-entry

Students are encouraged to confer with the FP faculty or program director before contacting Enrollment Services to withdraw from the program (see Enrollment Services’ process). If students are having difficulties and considering dropping from the program, faculty or the program director may have solutions to help students remain in the program. The program does need to know and report why students withdraw from the program for accreditation and planning purposes.

Class changes (add/drop)

Discussion with the Fire Protection advisor should take place prior to the time the student initiates add/drop procedures. This applies to general education courses as well as the FP courses. Failure to do so may result in inadequate hours or types of courses necessary for degree requirements. Consult PCC’s Registration Policies for registering for classes, dropping a class, and other information.

Re-entry and readmission procedures

If a student voluntarily drops the program, they should contact the admissions coordinator to discuss steps to be readmitted to the program. If a student withdraws from their courses during the first term in the program, they must apply for admission with the new cohort for the year they wish to re-enter the program. Students who drop their courses during a term are assumed to have dropped the program and must contact the program director or admissions coordinator to determine eligibility and requirements for re-entering the program.

Academic resources

The following are commonly used links that are helpful for the academic journey.

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Standards and procedures