Butte College

Course Outline

2026-2027 Catalog

FSC 106 - Firefighter I Academy

Catalog Description

Transfer Status
NT
Prerequisite
Completion of Butte College Fire Academy orientation; proof of completion of a medical suitability examination; provide uniforms as per academy specifications; current EMT certification or AEMT (Advanced EMT) certification.
Corequisite
FSC 105, FSC 107
Unit(s)
22.00
  • Lecture: 255.00 Contact hours/510.00 Out of class hours/765.00 Total hours/15.00 Unit(s)
  • Lab: 357.00 Contact hours/0.00 Out of class hours/357.00 Total hours/7.00 Unit(s)
  • Total: 612.00 Contact hours/510.00 Out of class hours/1122.00 Total hours/22.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course conforms to standards for certification established by the California State Board of Fire Services. Instruction includes basic psychomotor firefighter skills, fire behavior, personnel rules and regulations, professional organizations, fire control techniques and strategies, fireground operations, equipment operations, Incident Command System (ICS), Hazardous Materials (HazMat) operations, terrorism concepts, and loss control. Graded only.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the manipulative and technical competencies required for California Firefighter I IFSAC/PROBOARD Certification.
  2. Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet CSTI Hazardous Materials standards.

Course Content

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

Lecture topics and suggested hours
TopicsLec Hrs

Academy, Computer and Learning Management Software Orientation

8.00

(FF-1) Fire Service Orientation and History

6.00

(FF-2) Firefighter Safety

4.00

(FF-3) Ethics and the Fire Service

6.00

(FF-4) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

6.50

(FF-5) ICS 200

6.00

(FF-6) Building Construction

5.00

(FF-7) Fire Behavior

6.00

(FF-8) Hose, Nozzles, and Fittings

2.00

(FF-9) Fire Control

6.00

(FF-10) Tactical Ventilation

6.00

(FF-11) Hose Loads

2.00

(FF-12) Water Supply, Hydrants and Hose Lays

2.00

(FF-13) Fire Extinguishers

2.00

(FF-14) Rescue Operations

6.00

(FF-15) Vehicle Extrication 

6.00

(FF-16) Forcible Entry

6.00

(FF-17) Loss Control

5.00

(FF-18) Confined Space Rescue Awareness

2.00

(FF-19) Ground Ladders

6.00

(FF-20) Ropes and Knots/LARRO

2.00

(FF-21) CAL Fire Basic Firefighter

30.00

(FF-22) Above and Below Ground Operations and Fire Streams

6.00

(FF-23) Hazardous Materials - First Responder Operational

13.50

(FF-23) HazMat - First Responder Operational - Decon

2.00

(FF-24) Rapid Intervention Crew

8.00

(FF-24) Firefighter Survival

4.00

(FF-25) Fire Department Communications

2.00

(FF-26) Fire Protection Systems

6.00

(FF-27) Fire and Life Safety

7.00

(FF-28) Truck Operations

2.00

(FF-29) Swiftwater Rescue Awareness

2.00

(FF-30) Fire Origin and Cause Determination

5.50

(FF-31) Passenger Vehicle Fires

3.00

(FF-32) Terrorist Attacks and Illicit Labs

6.00

(FF-33) Power and Hand Tool Use, Safety and Maintenance

2.00

(FF-34) Public Utilities Safety Training

1.50

Job Acquiring Skills

6.00

Weekly Fire Summative Testing

29.00

Fire Mid-Term and Final Summative Testing

9.00

(FF-35) Cancer Awareness / Stress and Resilience

8.00

Diversity Training

2.00
Total Hours:255.00

Lab

Lab topics and suggested hours
TopicsLab Hrs

(FF-4) Fitting Personal Protective Equipment/FIT Testing

11.50

(FF-8) Hose, Nozzles, and Fittings

9.50

(FF-10) Tactical Ventilation

11.50

(FF-11) Hose Loads

4.00

(FF-12) Water Supply, Hydrants and Hose Lays

6.00

(FF-13) Fire Extinguishers

4.00

(FF-14) Rescue

11.50

(FF-15) Vehicle Extrication

17.00

(FF-16) Forcible Entry

6.00

(FF-17) Loss Control

7.00

(FF-18) Confined Space Rescue Awareness

6.00

(FF-19) Ground Ladders

28.00

(FF-20) Ropes and Knots/ LARRO

26.00

(FF-21) CAL Fire Basic Firefighter

24.00

(FF-22) Above and Below Ground Operations / Fire Streams

11.50

(FF-23) HazMat - First Responder Operational

2.50

(FF-23) HazMat - First Responder Operational - Decon

6.00

(FF-24) Firefighter Survival

11.50

(FF-24) Rapid Intervention Crew Operations

15.00

(FF-25) Fire Communications

4.00

(FF-28) Truck Operations

4.00

(FF-29) Swiftwater Rescue Awareness

4.00

(FF-31) Passenger Vehicle Fires

5.00

(FF-33) Power and Hand Tool Use, Safety and Maintenance

4.00

(FF 34) Public Safety and Utility Training

0.50

Drill and Inspection

6.00

(FF-36) Fire Control 3 - Live Fire Training

18.00

Live Fire Scenarios

10.00

Public Safety Training Ground and Orientation

1.00

Oral Boards

4.00

Ride-along Program

22.00

Manipulative Skills Review - Structural, Wildland, Haz Mat

11.50

Manipulative Skills Testing - Structural

8.00

Manipulative Skills Testing - Wildland

8.00

Manipulative Skills Testing and Remediation - Haz Mat

5.00

Rehearsal and Graduation

4.00

Mass Casualty Incident Exercise

7.00

Manipulative Skills and Remediations - Structural, Wildland

5.00

(FF-6) Building Construction

1.00

(FF-27) Fire and Life Safety Initiatives

6.00

(FF-30) Fire Origin and Cause Determination

0.50
Total Hours:357.00

Methods of Instruction

  1. Group Discussions
  2. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
  3. Lecture
  4. Reading Assignments
  5. Manipulative Skills

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Oral Presentation
  3. Performance Examinations
  4. Mid-term and final examinations
  5. Psychomotor Performance Exams

Examples of Assignments

Reading Assignments

  1. Familiarize yourself with the organization and content of North American Emergency Response Guidebook, and be prepared to identify appropriate responses to scenario-based questions in class.
  2. Read the chapter in your book on Head Trauma and be prepared to discuss related case studies in class.

Writing Assignments

  1. Write a minimum 500-word autobiography following the instructions in your Cadet Manual.
  2. Write a minimum 250-word summary report, which details your fire department ride-along experience.

Out-of-Class Assignments

  1. Schedule and participate in a wildland fire line construction simulation with Cal Fire. Be prepared to discuss your experience in class.
  2. Schedule and participate in a ride-along at a local fire station. Be prepared to share your experience in class.

Recommended Materials of Instruction

Jones & Bartlett. (2019). Fundamentals Of Firefighter Skills and Hazardous Materials Response. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 4th. 978-1-284-15133-6.

Jones & Bartlett. (2019). Fundamentals of Firefighter Skills and Hazardous Materials Response Workbook. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 4th. 9781284151411.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2020). North American Emergency Response Guidebook. J.J. Keller, 1st. 978-1-64551-022-2.

Jones and Bartlett. (2024). Wildland Firefighter Principles and Practice. Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2nd Revised. 978-1-284-28086-9.

Minimum Qualifications

Fire Technology