Open these exciting opportunities through EKU's FSET Program
CAREER INFORMATION
A growing number of cities and counties are requiring their Firefighters to have a BS degree for promotional opportunities. Even if it is not a requirement for promotional opportunities, it is necessary to be a more marketable job candidate. For people who are just embarking on their career in the fire services, many locations have long waiting lists for people interested in Firefighting and those applicants with a degree are moved to the top of these waiting lists. On top of that, the job competition in this area is very high due to benefits, pension after retirement, and the heroic nature of the career. Earning your degree will give you that edge to stay ahead.
The degree available within the Fire and Safety Engineering Technology program prepares students for a range of careers depending on their interests. The unique concentration in Fire Administration provides students with not just the basics of fire science, but also delves into management and leadership skills as they pertain to the fire and emergency services.
Fire and Safety Engineering Technology graduates qualify for careers in industrial fire protection, arson investigation, insurance risk evaluation, industrial safety, the fire protection equipment industry, state fire training agencies, insurance adjusting, municipal and county fire departments, structural design for fire protection, state safety programs and federal fire departments.
Here is a sample of careers available with this degree:
Fire Service Personnel (Fireman, Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, etc.)
An active or retired member of a fire department providing public fire prevention, life safety education, emergency medical services, and fire suppression services to a state, county, province, municipality, or organized fire district.
Industrial Fire Protection
Any employee of an industrial, institutional, or commercial entity who on a full-time or part-time basis is actively engaged in the formulation, administration, or implementation of policies and procedures designed to provide fire protection for his employer’s facilities.
Arson Investigation
Arson Investigators, investigate possible criminal activities as they relate to fire involving explosions, fireworks and other fire/arson-related incidents.
Arson investigators respond to fire scenes and sort through the aftermath to determine the cause and origin of the fire. Investigators are authorized to collect evidence and are sworn law enforcement officers with full powers of arrest to charge persons suspected of being involved in arson-related activities.
In addition to conducting investigations, the arson investigators take a proactive approach toward the suppression of arson. These efforts are coordinated through sponsoring numerous seminars which provide state-of-the-art investigative training techniques to people from various agencies and municipalities.
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
In national forests and parks, forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists spot fires from watchtowers and report their findings to headquarters by telephone or radio. Forest rangers patrol to ensure that travelers and campers comply with fire regulations. When fires break out, crews of fire fighters are brought in to suppress the blaze with heavy equipment, hand tools, and water hoses. Fighting forest fires, like fighting urban fires, is rigorous work. One of the most effective means of battling a blaze is creating fire lines—cutting down trees and digging out grass and all other combustible vegetation in the path of the fire—to deprive it of fuel. Elite fire fighters called smoke jumpers parachute from airplanes to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. This tactic, however, can be extremely hazardous because the crews have no way to escape if the wind shifts and causes the fire to burn toward them.
Fire Protection Engineering Technology
Fire protection engineering technology is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environments from the destructive effects of fire and smoke. This degree is also helpful for individuals who already possess an engineering degree to apply fire science knowledge to their careers.
In practice, fire protection engineers typically identify risks and design safeguards that aid in preventing, controlling, and mitigating the effects of fires. Fire protection engineers assist architects in evaluating buildings' life safety and property protection goals. FPEs are also employed as fire investigators, including such very large-scale cases as the analysis of the collapse of the World Trade Centers. NASA uses fire protection engineers in its space program to help improve safety.
