FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY (ETFS)

ETFS 1120. Fundamentals of Fire Protection. (3) This course is an introduction to the relevant issues one would encounter upon entering a career in fire protection. The course is an overview of many areas including fire protection career opportunities, history of public fire protection, general chemistry and physics of fire, codes and ordinances and fire protection systems and equipment.

ETFS 1232. Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply. (3) Provides a foundation of theoretical knowledge in order to understand the principles of the use of water in fire protection and to apply hydraulic principles to analyze and to solve water supply problems.

ETFS 1252. Fire Protection Law. (3) Provides information about potential legal liabilities encountered every day by fire, safety and emergency personnel. Explains how to research, read and understand various statutes, regulations & cases. Actual cases are presented in detail and followed by explanations that identify the most important issues facing emergency & safety personnel.

ETFS 2124. Fundamentals of Fire Prevention. (3) This class provides a fundamental overview of the history and philosophy regarding fire prevention. Class will investigate the organizational and operational aspects of a fire prevention bureau including the use of fire codes, identification and correction of fire hazards, and the relationships of fire prevention with built-in fire protections systems, fire investigation, and the positive effects of fire and life-safety education.

ETFS 2126. Fire Investigation. (3) This course covers investigation into various types of fires: structure, wildland, automobile, fabric, and chemical. Topics include fire chemistry and physics, scene analysis, case analysis, arson, the new generation of petroleum products, post-flashover patterns of damage, misuse of post-fire indicators, and documentation.

ETFS 2132. Building Construction for Fire Protection. (3) Studies the components of building construction that relate to fire and life safety. The focus of this course is on fire fighter safety. The elements of construction and design of structures are shown to be key factors when inspecting buildings, preplanning fire operations, and operating at emergencies.

ETFS 2144. Fire Protection Systems. (3) Provides information relating to the features of design and operation of fire detection and alarm systems, heat and smoke control systems, special protection and sprinkler systems, water supply for fire protection and portable fire extinguishers.

ETFS 2230. Hazardous Materials. (3) This course focuses on the basic knowledge required to evaluate the potential hazards and behavior of materials considered hazardous. The course examines the reasons for chemical behavior of hazardous materials and is designed to improve decision making abilities when hazardous materials are encountered in the workplace or at an emergency scene.

ETFS 2264. Fire Behavior and Combustion. (3) Explores the theories and fundamentals of how and why fires start, spread, and are controlled.

ETFS 2264L. Fire Behavior and Combustion Laboratory. (1) Laboratory experiments and hands-on computer simulations to illustrate the concepts presented in ETFS 2264.

ETFS 3103. Principles of Fire Behavior. (3) Fundamental principles of fire chemistry and physics, and mechanisms that control enclosure fires. Topics include basic principles of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and combustion as far as those subjects relate to fire dynamics; ignition of liquids and solids; flame spread over liquid and solid surfaces and through porous fuel beds; burning rate; diffusion flames and plumes; combustion products; and compartment fires.

ETFS 3113. Building Fire Safety. (3) Construction standards and codes to ensure acceptable levels of fire safety in buildings. Topics include anatomy of building construction, building construction features affecting fire performance, fundamentals of reading plans and specifications, the traditional code approach to passive fire protection, trade-offs between active and passive fire protection, concepts of rational fire design for structural members, and performance-based fire design as an alternative to traditionally prescriptive codes.

ETFS 3123. Industrial Hazards & Electricity. (3) Typical industrial hazards encountered including: compressed gasses, chemicals, bio-toxins, radiation sources, boilers and ovens. Introductory concepts and methods of analysis of AC & DC circuits, electrical switchgear, and rotating machinery. Compliance & reporting issues in an industrial setting. Safety procedures and safety equipment will also be discussed in regards to working as a fire safety engineer.

ETFS 3124. Risk Management for the Emergency Services. (3) An exploration of management and organizational principles with emphasis on controlling the risk associated with operations in the emergency services. In depth discussion of recognizing and controlling risk, personnel accountability, incident management systems and post-incident analysis as related to the emergency services. Critical analysis of private protection measures available to reduce loss potential.

ETFS 3144. Active Fire Protection. (3) Review of fire suppression, alarm, and smoke control systems. Topics include fixed and portable suppression systems, fire suppression agents and extinguishing mechanisms, fire detection devices, fire protective detection and signaling systems, smoke production in fires and principles of smoke movement and management.

ETFS 3183. Fire Safety Engineering Problem Analysis. (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103. Methods of solving fire safety engineering problems. Topics include enclosure fire radiation heat transfer calculations; calculations of vent flows in enclosure fires; estimating ignition, flame spread, and heat release rate properties of materials on the basis of experimental data; smoke filling of enclosures; and conduction heat transfer through fire protective materials.

ETFS 3233. Applied Fire Engineering Design and Analysis. (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103. Application of fire safety engineering technology in fire design and analysis of fires. Topics include computer modeling of compartment fires and emergency evacuation of buildings, structural fire design, sprinkler system design, performance-based design, and fire investigation and reconstruction.

ETFS 3400. Practicum. (1-4) Prerequisite: Must be classified as a junior, have a cumulative 2.2 GPA and the approval of FSET program faculty. This course is designed to allow students to participate in an approved applied practicum designed to allow theoretical and course-based learning in a supervised fire and/or safety related environment. Each practicum experience is individual and is arranged with a contract between the supervising faculty member, the student and the employer. Students must complete the practicum proposal form and identify a faculty member who will direct and evaluate the completed work. Practicum requires a weekly progress report as well as a final report and presentation to be graded by the supervising faculty member. May be repeated for up to a total of 4 hours. (On demand)

ETFS 3611. Professional Leadership Seminar. (1) (W) (O) This course is to provide a framework of executive-level competencies by focusing primarily on areas and issues of personal effectiveness. The issue of command perspective vs. a first line fire fighter perspective are examined. The course includes case study analysis, role-playing and experiential activities. Students will develop desirable goals in the areas of their professional, personal community, and family life. Course topics include leadership, multiple roles, decision skills, influencing leaders, coaching and mentoring, and effective use of personal computing.

ETFS 3800. Independent Study. (1-3) Prerequisite: Must be classified as a junior, have a cumulative 2.2 GPA and the approval of FSET program faculty. This course is designed to allow students to take responsibility for the direction of their learning about a topic of interest to them. Each independent study is individual and is arranged with a contract between the supervising faculty member and the student. Students must complete the independent study proposal form and identify a faculty member who will direct and evaluate the completed work. Each hour of credit for this course should be comparable to what would be expected in the classroom – 15 hours contact time plus outside work or approximately 30 hours. The project is culminated with a final report and presentation. May be repeated for a total of 3 hours. (On demand)

ETFS 4123. Command and Control of Major Disasters. (3) This course focuses on the commanding officer's responsibility while conducting major operations involving multi-alarm units and man-made disasters that may require interagency or jurisdictional coordination. Earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorism, hazardous materials releases, tornadoes, and floods are some of the topics covered. Emphasis is placed on rapid fireground decision making, advanced incident command, command and control, safety, personnel accountability, hazard preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, evacuation, sheltering and communications.

ETFS 4243. Research Investigation. (3) (W) (O) Application of practical, up-to-date review of fire research and its application. The transfer of research and its implications for fire prevention and protection programs are addressed. Development of a student project and a written report in a specified area in fire administration or fire science technology with faculty supervision. Analytical modeling, technical research, oral and written reporting of progress and findings are required.

ETFS 4323. Advanced Fire Service Administration. (3) A study of management theories, leadership philosophies and strategies for the fire service. Emphasis in the course will be on planning, organizing staffing, and evaluating fire protection services. Public fire education, loss prevention principles, and management of resources particular to fire and emergency services are addressed. Discussion of techniques for assessment of public fire protection and its impact on the community and environment.