Fire Science – Firefighter, Fire Investigator, Fire Officer, HazMat, NWCG FFT2, EMT

Pending approval for Title IV Financial Aid funding, currently not an eligible program. May be eligible for New Mexico State Scholarships or other private scholarships, please visit with a financial aid advisor for more details. 

Every year, fire and other emergencies take thousands of lives and destroy property worth billions of dollars. Firefighters help protect the public against these dangers. They are frequently the first emergency personnel at the scene of a traffic accident or medical emergency and may be called upon to put out a fire, treat injuries, or perform other vital functions.

Firefighter employment continues to increase. According to the United States Fire Administration, nearly 70 percent of fire companies are staffed by volunteer firefighters. Most job growth will occur as volunteer fire-fighting positions are converted to paid positions. In addition to job growth, openings are expected to result from the need to replace firefighters who retire, stop working for other reasons, or transfer to other emergency service entities.

Southeast New Mexico College provides training for firefighting personnel through its Fire Science program, which is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). Students will receive training in the basic concepts of firefighting and will participate in live evolutions that will give them real experience in the firefighting career field. This program provides classroom instruction leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in fire science or a certificate of completion in firefighting. It is suited to those who are new to the field, as well as incumbent firefighters.

• Career and volunteer firefighters and NMSU student firefighters will improve their job performance and prepare for higher level positions in the fire protection fields.
• Students who wish to enter the field of fire protection will benefit from the basic foundations provided in the technical courses as well as general education courses.

NOTE: An articulation agreement with the N.M. Firefighters Training Academy makes it possible to receive college credit for experience and IFSAC certification.

NOTE: Students wishing to enter the fire service will benefit from the educational background provided and may receive certifications in various fire-related areas through the New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy in Socorro, N.M., and the IFSAC.

Program Accreditation

The Fire Science Program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (https://ifsac.org/).

Medical Clearances and Background Checks

Most of the health programs in Fire Science require students undergo the New Mexico Department of Health caregiver’s criminal history screening program. This involves state and federal felony criminal background checks with fingerprints. This must be completed prior to starting the Emergency Medical Technician or EMT portion of the program or prior to beginning their clinical experiences. Students with a disqualifying conviction can appeal some of those convictions through the New Mexico Department of Health. Depending on the program, students may or may not be allowed to remain in the program pending appeal.

NOTE: Vaccines and drug screenings are also required during the clinical portion of the program.

Physical Requirements

Reasonable accommodations are made for students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with disabilities that may interfere with completing program competencies are advised to contact the Fire Science Program Director for more information. This program requires that the student be able to:

• lift, carry and balance up to 125 pounds (250 pounds with assistance)
• assume a variety of postural positions and be capable of physical maneuvers ranging from crawling, kneeling, squatting, twisting, turning, and bending, to climbing stairs and ladders
• withstand varied environmental conditions such as extreme heat, cold, and moisture

Technology Competencies

To assist students with adequate preparation for their coursework at SENMC, technology competencies have been identified and established. These competencies are in effect for all courses taken in the Fire Science program. Students must possess the following minimum competencies. Additional competencies may be required for particular courses/programs:

• Access course and program material on the Web using CANVAS and an applicable web browser
• Correspond with SENMC students and faculty using e-mail and the Web
• Read/print e-mail and attachments/files from students and faculty
• Complete, send, and receive assignments using e-mail and attachments/files
• Use the SENMC Library e-books, e-journals, databases, or credible World Wide Web resources for research and completion of course assignments
• Prepare and conduct presentations in the classroom using presentation equipment as required.
• Use the appropriate software for a given course (SENMC uses as standard Microsoft products, including MS Word, MS Project, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint)
• Use an appropriate anti-virus application to ensure the files transmitted and received are virus free
• Use recommended plagiarism review software to ensure work is not plagiarized

Fire Science – Associate of Applied Science

(63 credits)

NOTE: Students must earn a final grade of C- or better in all required FIRE and FIRE related-elective courses and achieve a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0. A grade of C- or better is required in ENGL 1110G Composition I and MATH 1130G Survey of Mathematicscourses.

Students must complete all SENMC degree requirements, which include General Education requirements and elective credits to total at least 60 credits. Developmental coursework will not count towards the degree requirements and/or elective credits, but may be needed in order to take the necessary English and Mathematics coursework.

Licensing

Students completing various Fire Science courses will be allowed to sit for the associated IFSAC, ProBoard or NWCG certification exams.  Additionally, upon completion of the EMT portion of the program the student will be allowed to take the National Registry EMT exam.

Credit for Industry Credentials
Any student with a nationally recognized fire instruction or preapproved departmental courses may be
awarded college credit hours toward an A.A.S. degree in Fire Science. Students are required to complete
at least 15 credit hours through SENMC. A maximum of 45 credit hours can be awarded by Credit for Industry Credentials. Documents submitted for Credit for Industry Credentials must be the original or notarized copies (documents will not be returned).

Training must meet one of the following requirements:

1. International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) certification
2. National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) certification
3. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) credentialed courses
4. National Fire Academy courses
5. New Mexico State Fire Academy courses
6. Preapproved departmental courses.

Pending approval for Title IV Financial Aid funding, currently not an eligible program. May be eligible for New Mexico State Scholarships or other private scholarships, please visit with a financial aid advisor for more details.

¹

See the General Education section of the catalog for a full list of courses.

²

Course is a Technical Requirement and must be completed regardless of transfer credit awarded.

³

Course required for new students or transfer students with less the 30 credit hours. Course may be waived if a student has completed 30 or more credit hours. If course is waived additional elective courses will be needed to meet the minimum hours required for the degree. 

⁴

Any course which will bring total credits for the degree to 60. Additional courses may be required if FYEX 1111 is waived.

A Suggested Plan of Study

Additional classes may be needed based on placement test results and course prerequisites. Visit with an advisor for help with creating a customized plan.