Firefighting Curricula

The S.C. Fire Academy has developed multiple delivery methods to achieve the NFPA Firefighter I and II levels. These methods include: traditional drill style recruit school programs, modular regional delivery, hybrid and career and technology center/high school partnerships and the Academy recognized Basic Responder programs.

1155: Regional Recruit NFPA Firefighter I

• Prerequisite: First Aid and CPR
• Co-requisite: Hazardous Materials Awareness-level training and *Hazardous Materials Operations (HMO)-level training *. (Students may enroll without HMO, but will not receive certification until prerequisite is met.)
• Contact Hours: 140 This course uses traditional instructional methods in a regional recruit program designed to take the student to the first level of firefighter as recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard). It combines the fundamentals of firefighting course (1152) and Firefighter I (1153) in a drill style recruit program with an expanded certification evaluation and written exam.

1152: Fundamentals of Firefighting

• Prerequisite: None
• Contact Hours: 105
• This course is designed to help fire departments meet the fundamentals of firefighting and cover fire ground skills. Subjects include: fire behavior, fire extinguishers, personal protective equipment, SCBA, ladders, fire hose, fire streams, search and rescue, interior fire attack, and self-survival. Additional training may be required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to meet the department’s minimum requirements. This course is the first step to being qualified as a firefighter in South Carolina. This course does NOT qualify an individual to make entry into an imminent danger life hazard (IDLH) environment at a fire scene. Fire service personnel should pursue the additional courses to complete the Firefighter I standard.

1153: Firefighter I

• Prerequisite: 1152, First Aid and CPR, Hazardous Materials Operations-level training
• Contact Hours: 65
• This course is designed to complete training to the NFPA Firefighter I level from the Fundamentals of Firefighting (1152) course. Successful students will be certified to firefighter I by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard). Subjects include: building construction, ropes and knots, forcible entry, ventilation, water supply, salvage, overhaul, communications, fire prevention, and community risk reduction.

1154: Firefighter II

• Prerequisite: NFPA Firefighter I and 3330 Basic Auto Extrication
• Contact Hours: 44
• This course is designed to take the student to the final level of firefighter, as recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and certified by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard). Subjects include: incident management, building collapse and special rescue, hose tools and appliances, hydrant flow and operability, fire detection and alarm systems, fire cause, pre-incident planning, reports and communications, and coordinating fire attack.

1402: Hybrid NFPA Firefighter I

• Prerequisite: First Aid and CPR, Hazardous Materials Awareness-level training
• Co-requisite: Hazardous Materials Operations (HMO)-level training. (Students may enroll without HMO, but
• will not receive certification until prerequisite is met.)
• Contact Hours: 96 (additional online and supplemental instruction time will be required)
• This course, using online and traditional instructional methods, is designed to take the student to Firefighter I, the first level of firefighter as recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and certified by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard). Subjects include: fire behavior, fire extinguishers, personal protective equipment, SCBA, ladders, fire hose, fire streams, search and rescue, interior fire attack and self-survival as well as building construction, ropes and knots, forcible entry, ventilation, water supply, salvage, overhaul, communications, fire prevention, and community risk reduction. Portions of the class will be completed online, under the guidance of an instructor, to include traditional classroom sessions and the completion of skills. This course includes elements of 1152 – Fundamentals of Firefighting, and 1153 – Firefighter I.

1403: Hybrid NFPA Firefighter II

• Prerequisites: NFPA Firefighter I and Vehicle Extrication
• Contact Hours: 44
• This hybrid course is designed to take the student to the final level of firefighter, Firefighter II as recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and certified by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard). Subjects include: incident management, building collapse and special rescue, hose tools and appliances, hydrant flow and operability, fire detection and alarm systems, fire cause, pre-incident planning, reports and communications, and coordinating fire attack. Portions of the class will be completed online, under the guidance of an instructor, to include traditional classroom sessions and the completion of skills.

1139: Rescuing the Rescuer

• Prerequisite: Firefighter I or 1152 or 1121 or 1703
• Contact Hours: 20
• This course addresses a number of pressing issues facing today’s firefighter- firefighter survival. It provides the basic knowledge and skills needed to identify when to call a “Mayday,” initiate self-rescue, and/or rescue a fellow firefighter. The course includes a review of case studies, statistical data, and the impact of rescuing a downed firefighter. The primary focus is to reduce putting firefighters in these situations and, if it happens, what is needed to survive.

1140: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC)

• Prerequisite: 1139 or equivalent
• Contact Hours: 16
• This course allows students to apply knowledge and skills from the Rescuing the Rescuer course. The classroom portion covers legal aspects, events requiring RIC, personnel requirements, deployment consideration, and command responsibilities. Tool and equipment considerations for RIC will also be covered. Practical evolutions will be scenario driven. Students are encouraged to bring personal equipment they normally carry as a member of a rapid intervention crew.

1161: Truck Operations for Fireground Support

• Prerequisite: Firefighter I or 1152 or 1703
• Contact Hours: 16

This course addresses the operations traditionally assigned to truck companies, but can (and should) be done at nearly every structural fire incident by any fire ground company. Topics include, fire ground support operations, enhanced fire behavior, firefighter safety and survival, ground ladders, size-up, access, and ventilation. Specific classroom activities help the student grasp the material presented in the classroom.

1181: Wildland Fire Training For Structural Firefighters

• Prerequisite: Firefighter I or 1152 or 1121 or 1703
• PPE: Wildland F/F gear (preferred) or Structural F/F gear
• Contact Hours: 16
• This course provides a structural firefighter with the basic knowledge and understanding of hazards associated with Wildland firefighting and the cooperative efforts and assistance the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) will provide once on scene. The course will cover working safely with the SCFC, the basics of wildland fire, weather, and hose lays, LCES, watch-out situations, suppression, and mop up operations in the Wildland environment.

1182: Wildland Urban Interface Structure Protection

• Prerequisite: Firefighter I or 1152 or 1121 or 1703.
• Recommended Prerequisite: 1181
• PPE: None
• Contact Hours: 8
• This course provides a structural firefighter with the additional knowledge and concept of structure triage in the Wildland Urban Interface. Structure triage and the process it pertains to pre-incident and incident planning are foundations of the course. From a table top presentation, each student will evaluate and triage a community of homes nestled among the Wildland environment. Topics of discussion include: rural and urban water supply, access roads and security measures for those Wildland vacation community homes, landscaping and land management. The use of foam and foam gels in structure protection is also addressed.

1136: Flammable Liquids and Gas Firefighting

• Prerequisite: Firefighter I or 1152 or 1121 or 1153 or 1703
• Contact Hours: 8
• This course is designed to be a basic course in flammable liquids/gas firefighting. Subjects include basic theory, foam application and valve manipulation, tactics, and strategy. This course is ideal for a student who has completed Firefighter I and desires to further his training.

1177: Responding To Utility Emergencies

• Prerequisite: None
• Contact Hours: 8
• This course provides a “street smart approach” for emergency first responders responding to utility emergencies. Topics include the need for utility company response, most common utility hazards, response issues, and the hazards associated with electric and gas generations, transmission, and distribution. Several case histories will be reviewed during class.

8118: Positive Pressure Ventilation

• Prerequisite: None
• Contact Hours: 6
• This course is designed as a review of basic ventilation practices, implementation, and fire attack considerations. It includes classroom and field work, consisting of practical skills evolutions and a demonstration using positive pressure ventilation.

8316: Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

• Prerequisite: None
• Contact Hours: 4
• This National Fire Academy course is designed to define the four main components of Traffic Incident Management in the TIM Responder Training Program, help responders recognize dangers encountered working in or near traffic, list the principal laws that relate to responder safety, and safe, quick clearance. It also covers how the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) relates to TIM. It differentiates between Move it and Work it incidents, defines lane plus 1 blocking and the need for it, as well as the safe practices for working around or avoiding the ZERO buffer and the need for the advanced warning area.