The Fire Officer Certificate is a three semester program designed for students who are interested in taking fire science courses to obtain the knowledge and skills needed for Fire Officer positions within a fire department.

Note: This certificate does not require additional general education courses nor completion of TSI placement tests. However, completion of these courses will apply toward the Fire Protection Technology AAS should students later decide to pursue the degree.

Fire Officer Certificate Courses

The courses included in the certificate are listed below with the semester in which they will tentatively be offered:

Fall Semester

  • FIRT 2309 Firefighting Strategies and Tactics I
  • FIRT 2407 Fire Instructor II (TCFP Fire Instructor I & II)

Spring Semester

  • FIRT 1443 Fire Officer II (TCFP Fire Officer I & II)
  • FIRT 1450 Fire Investigator (TCFP Fire Investigator)

Summer Semester

  • FIRT 1353 Legal Aspects of Fire Protection
  • FIRT 2111 Incident Safety Officer (TCFP Incident Safety Officer)

Texas Commission of Fire Protection Certifications

Several TCFP certifications are embedded in Fire Technology courses. Upon successful completion of the following courses, students who meet TCFP testing requirements are eligible to take the examination for the associated certification.

Course TCFP Certifications
FIRT 2407, Fire Instructor II Fire Instructor I
Fire Instructor II
FIRT 1443, Fire Officer II Fire Officer I
Fire Officer II
FIRT 1450, Fire Investigator Fire Investigator
FIRT 2111, Incident Safety Officer Incident Safety Officer

Credit by Petition

Students that have successfully completed any of the above TCFP courses with their department or as a continuing education course with another educational agency may be eligible to file a Petition for Credit for the associated course towards the Certificate, provided they satisfy the petition’s requirements. Contact the Director of Fire Technology for details and to initiate the petition.

Note: The maximum number of hours that may be obtained by Petition for Credit is 25 hours.

Course Curriculum

All Fire Technology courses are offered as Internet courses with course materials being completed though the Blackboard Learning System. The following courses also include labs:

  • FIRT 1443, Fire Officer
  • FIRT 1450, Fire Investigator
  • FIRT 2111, Incident Safety Officer
  • FIRT 2407, Fire Instructor

For these courses, students will be required to attend labs to complete skills that are required to be completed in person by the TCFP. Specific dates that lab sessions meet will be listed in course syllabi.

Since all Fire Technology courses in the Certificate are Internet courses, students must complete the Online Learners Workshop, WBCT 1003, before they will have access to their course. After being admitted to COM, students may enroll for this course through Web Advisor.

Course Schedule

Fire Technology courses offered in upcoming semesters are listed in the Credit Course Schedule, on the Fire Technology home page in the Announcements section, and on the Fire Technology Facebook page.

Firefighter’s Exemption of Tuition Enrolled in Fire Science Courses

Firefighters currently employed by a political subdivision of the State of Texas, e.g. a fire department, are eligible for an exemption of tuition for credit or continuing education fire science courses. Note: Regular college fees are not covered by the exemption.

Volunteer firefighters that have been active members of an organized volunteer fire department of the state for three years and hold SFFMA Firefighter II or TCFP Firefighter II certification are also eligible for this exemption.

In order to obtain the exemption, students must obtain a letter from their department verifying employment or service to their volunteer department and provide it to the cashiers when registering and paying for courses.

Registration

To enroll in Fire Technology courses, students new to COM must file an online application to become a COM student and comply with Admissions requirements.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

College of the Mainland provides gainful employment information about graduation rates, the median debt of students and other important information to all interested persons regarding the College’s certificate programs.

View the disclosure template for the Fire Officer Certificate