The Butte College Public Safety Education & Training Center educates and trains students to serve and protect the public in a highly competent and professional manner.
The Firefighter 1 Academy is certified by the State Fire Marshal and the State Board of Fire Services as an Accredited Regional Fire Academy. The program received re-accreditation in 2017, and is offered twice annually in an intensive format. Consistent with Fire Science classes, the academy starts near the end of August to accommodate the fire season and to allow working students the opportunity to end their seasonal firefighting responsibilities as late as possible in order to attend Butte College. The program has earned a reputation for being among the finest firefighter academies in the western states and attracts students from throughout the area. Our graduates have secured positions in agencies from coast to coast. The Firefighter 1 Academy equates to approximately 100 FTE. Upon successful completion of the Fire Academy, students earn the following: 1. California Emergency Medical Technician training certificate of completion, which qualifies students to be eligible to complete the National EMT Registry Exam. 2. Certificates of completion for California Firefighter, as follows: ICS 100; Vehicle Extrication; Confined Space Rescue Awareness; Low Angle Rope Rescue Operations; Cal Fire Basic Firefighter; Rapid Intervention Crew Operations; Firefighter Survival; First Responder Operations Haz-Mat; Terrorism Consequences Management, and S-190. 3. Graduates are academically eligible for advancement to earning the California State Fire Marshal Firefighter I certificate with an IFSAC Pro-Board Enhancement. All pedagogical caps have been reviewed and are appropriate.
Although Student Learning Outcomes are not evaluated in the same manner as other disciplines, the degree to which all objectives have been met is formally evaluated with written and skills testing during each and every presentation of the course. The standards of training are established by the State Fire Marshal's Office and Claifornia Code of Regulations, Title 22. Our program is fully in compliance with these required standards.
Upon successful completion of our program, the students will be able to describe the components of a personal fitness program, and develop a personal fitness plan that will allow them to pass a standard firefighter employment physical ability examination. Students will be able to perform tasks that will demonstrate their manipulative and technical competency required for California Firefighter I certification, and for National certification for emergency Medical Technician . Finally, the students will receive certificates in other related career enhancement fields to strengthen their margetability for a career in fire service. The Fire Acadeny has a current average retention rate of 86.5% and average success rate following graduation of 93%.
The Fire Academy Program supports the college in meeting enrollment targets by actively supporting community outreach presentations for high school students expresing interest in the fire academt program throughout the year. Students are informed of thenature an required commitment for success in the program. Further, academy coordinators work closely with college counsellors to help direct students to our program. The very nature of the academy program is designed to strengthen the professional development of the students and prepare the cadets to enter the fire service career field. Upon course completion, students possess the knowledge and ability to become a firefighter in all fifty states and overseas in the military.
The following recommendations were implemented since the last program review:
The following items are still in need to be addressed:
Strategy 1 - Maintaining Serviceable Resources
The ability to maintain quality in the presentation of the Fire Academy depends in a large part on the ability to have modern and servicable tools, equipment and adjuncts available for use by the students. It will be a priority to maintain equipment, replace worn out equipment and acquire new equipment as circumstances and funding warrant in the future.
Historically, the Firefighter I Academy has obtained much of its equipment from area fire agencies, who have been very generous in donating their surplus items. As communities struggle with their own fiscal conditions, they have made efforts to increase the service lives of their safety equipment. As a result, the equipment that has been available for donation to this program the last few years has not only reached the end of its service life, in many cases it is obsolete. The critical and dangerous nature of firefighter training is such that the students must have servicable equipment just for their safety, and there is obvious benefit to training with equipment that is not antiquated.
Strategy 2 - Maintain Currency with Standards
The California State Fire Marshal's Office implemented updated Firefighter I curriculum which has been integrated into the Fire Academy Program. Ongoing input from the Fire Academy Advisory Boards, as well as industry changes, mandate that the academy program continue to stay abreast of contemporary industry standards.
Effective student learning must reflect the knowledge and skills needed for future employment in the fire career field. The duties and responsibilities constantly change with the times, and it is critical that the fire program maintain currency and applicable regulatory standards.
Strategy 3 - Meeting Facility Needs
Historically, the various public safety training programs have been core components of the college since its beginning. The addition of the Allied Health/Public Services Building and the various facilities at the Public Safety Training Grounds allowed the Public Safety Education and Training Center to place its programs in a modern, permanent building which has served us well over the years. However, as these facilities age there is a constant need for facility maintenance, repair and replacement.
The Public Safety Training Grounds provides an excellent facility for a variety of manipulative skills training in both the fire and law academy programs. The nature of this training demands that facilities be maintained to a level that ensures student safety and provides the highest quality of contemporary training.
None
The Fire Academy is supported primarily by the General Fund, with some additional support coming from student material fees. Additionally, Perkins Funds have been utilized to rectify safety issues and replace critically important equipment.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | PSETC - FSCA - Fire Academy | Operating Expenses | 11-000-511-1-213350 | $0.00 | $26,000.00 | |
| Ongoing Augmentation to Support Consumable Equipment, Materials, and Supplies | The Butte College Fire Academy is held in the highest regard throughout the State because of the exceptional standards and quality of its program. The success of the program relies heavily on hands-on manipulative skills training to provide real-world experiences for the students. As a result, realistic equipment, materials, and supplies are needed to support instruction. These items are consumable, needing constant replacement. Equipment wears out and becomes obsolete over time. The National Fire Protection Association, through a series of NFPA regulations, requires that all ground ladders, fire hoses, and the breathing air compressor be serviced annually and air quality tested at least four times annually. The below items are needed to maintain our academy program and support the utmost safety to our students. LADDERS: One - 24" Extension, 1 - 14' Roof ladder $2,000; LADDER PARTS: Spurs & Lock Assembly $350; WILDLAND EQUIP. Clamps (4) $250; Hose 1" SJRL $550; LARRO-ROPE RESCUE: Webbing and Hardware $800; HAND TOOLS: Axes, Pulaski's & McLeod's $250; SALVAGE COVERS: (2) 12'X14' $200; LIQUID SMOKE: Two CASES, (8 GALLONS) $200; CHAIN SAW FUEL AND CHAINS $300; RE-HAB EQUIPMENT: (POP-UP, WATER JUG) $300; LUMBER: OSB & WOOD $5,500; HAZ. MAT. (Pools, suits, buckets, brushes, hoses) $150; WELDING & METAL SUPPLIES $500; MISC. BUILDING SUPPLIES $200; MISC. CLEANING SUPPLIES $150; MISC. MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES: (paint, hardware, auto) $300; TOTAL: $12,000; YEARLY MAINTENANCE: SCBA'S (10 each ) $5,500; SCBA COMPRESSOR SERVICE $1,000; LADDER TESTING $1,200; APP. SERVICE $1,500; SAW SERVICE $300; EXTRICATION EQUIP. SERVICE $500; TOTAL: $10,000 TOTAL: TOTAL: $2000.00 $350.00 $250.00 $550.00 $800.00 $250.00 $200.00 $200.00 $300.00 $300.00 $5500.00 $150.00 $500.00 $200.00 $150.00 $300.00 $12,000.00 $5500.00 $1000.00 $1200.00 $ 1500.00 $300.00 $500.00 $10,000.00 |
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| 2 | PSETC - FSCA - Fire Academy | Equipment | 11-000-511-1-213350 | $86,290.00 | $0.00 | |
| Training Props and Equipment | The Butte College Fire Academy program has always been known for its high standards in curriculum and training. Manipulative skills hands-on training is a critical and required instructional element of the Fire Academy program. As such, training in the vehicle fire prop, confined spaces prop, and the self-contained breathing apparatus confidence prop, addresses the heart of fire training as defined within the parameters of the State Fire Marshall Firefighter I curriculum. The vehicle fire prop is needed as an alternative to setting fire to surplus vehicles. Surplus vehicles are no longer consistently available, and once those vehicles are burned, discarding the vehicles are becoming increasingly difficult due to environmental concerns. The current confined spaces prop is a temporary prop consisting of two sections of culvert. A permanent prop will better support instruction and provide the students a greater margin of safety. Likewise, the SCBA confidence course will enhance instruction, and will provide a greater level of training in a safe and controlled environment. 1. Vehicle Fire Prop - $39,250; 2. Confined Spaces Prop - $5000; 3. SCBA Confidence Course - $10000; In the event that the request for Priority 1 ongoing Augmentation is not approved, there is an immediate need for the following equipment, as justified in Priority 1 above: Helmets (8) $2,840; Chain Saw $3,000; Circular Saw $4,000; Training Shelters (20) $3,600; Ladder $2000; Hose $5,000; Hose Packs and Clamps $2,600; Side-by-Side Dump Bed $9,000, Total: $32,040 |
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| 3 | PSETC - FSCA - Fire Academy | Facilities | 11-000-511-1-213350 | $80,000.00 | $0.00 | |
| Training Grounds Improvements and Repair | The projects listed in this section are needed to preserve and widen the options for use on the Training Grounds. For example, the Training Tower is leaking water, thereby creating a hazardous condition for students and staff as they ascend and descend the internal stairs. The request to increase the area of asphalt on the training grounds is needed to accommodate consistent use by the four academy programs. Following is a listing of facility projects that are in need of completion on the Public Safety Training Grounds: 1. Fire Training Tower repair - $5000 2. Expand Existing Asphalt Surface - $50000 |
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