A Case Study Of A Community College’s Basic Firefighter Program And Its Capacity To Meet Regional Firefighting Requirements

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the firefighter training programs offered at a local community college and the capacity of these programs for meeting the needs of local stakeholders. The stakeholders that were considered include current students, graduates, local firefighting officials, and citizens who are currently served by this county’s emergency services. A review of the current firefighter program components at this North Carolina community college will be used to determine whether changes should be made to better prepare firefighting candidates for professional departments within the local county. The study applies a case study research design using data derived from surveys, interviews, an analysis of the current curriculum, and regional emergency response data. Overall, this study illustrates an industry shift and a need to modify the current training program. Recommendation were made for these modifications consistent with study’s results.