FESHE Recognition Program
The Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Recognition Program provides National Fire Academy (NFA) recognition to those regionally accredited institutions across the country that promote the standardization of fire science course titles, descriptions, and outcomes. Institutions with undergraduate fire science degree programs that offer FESHE model core associate’s and bachelor’s courses are eligible for recognition.
To achieve this NFA recognition, the regionally accredited school must require the six-course model fire science curriculum of its associate’s or bachelor’s students for graduation. A major benefit for achieving the FESHE designation is that the degree programs’ students receive an NFA certificate of completion for each course from the FESHE-recognized institution. This documentation of one’s completion of the FESHE model core curriculum recognizes that the graduate’s degree is tied to a nationally-recognized standard of education and achievement. This national approach to standardizing fire science education will produce graduates well-prepared to improve the quality of fire and emergency services delivery in the future.
FESHE degree programs emphasize firefighting response, fire prevention, fire administration, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS); however, the EMS curriculum is currently under development. International colleges, universities, and those in the U.S. not regionally accredited are ineligible to participate.
Requesting FESHE Institution Recognition
Step 1:
Schools seeking recognition can request consideration from NFA by sending an e-mail to FEMA-FESHE@fema.dhs.gov.
Step 2:
NFA forwards the application to the appropriate National Fire Science Degree Program Committee, associate’s or bachelor’s which will review the request to ensure courses sufficiently align with the FESHE model curriculum. In addition to their core courses, schools are encouraged to submit their non-core FESHE model courses offered for approval.
Requestors need only submit the following information for each core and additional non-core FESHE course:
- Title
- Description
- Undergraduate Division-level (lower- or upper-)
- Outcomes
Although strongly encouraged, NFA is not requiring that schools change their course titles and descriptions; however, course outcomes must be in alignment with the FESHE model. Institutions must label all documents with the institution’s name and course title.
Example: College Name_Fire Behavior.docx
If the institution does not use the correct naming convention for files, their documents will be returned to them to rename and resend which will cause a delay in the process. Institutions must submit their files and/or attachments, along with the FESHE Status Determination request, with all courses to be considered. They mush be marked accordingly, including the URL where the courses can be found online, and signed off by the appropriate Dean of the Institution’s program. Courses shall meet the prescribed outcomes in the model course outlines. NFA is not dictating how these outcomes are met or content to use. Providing volumes of pages with outlines and activities is unnecessary and will delay the committee review.
In this step, the committee accepts or rejects the request and returns its evaluation to NFA.
Step 3:
NFA forwards the committee approved request to the State fire service training agency in which the college resides for concurrence. The State Training Director concurs or non-concurs with the committee’s recommendation and returns its evaluation to NFA.
Non-concurrence by the State director means that the institution will not receive NFA recognition.
Step 4:
NFA notifies the school of the results of the review.
The entire process is expected to take up to 45 calendar days to complete from the receipt of the request. Those programs successfully achieving national recognition will receive a "Certificate of National Recognition" and will be prominently highlighted on the FESHE college list.
Requirements and Expectations for Recognition
- To achieve this higher recognition, the school must offer and require the six-course model fire science courses to its students (associate’s or bachelor’s levels) for graduation, regardless of where or how the courses are delivered. The core courses are:
- Building Construction for Fire Protection
- Fire Protection Systems
- Fire Behavior and Combustion
- Fire Prevention
- Principles of Emergency Services
- Principles of Fire and Emergency Services Safety and Survival
- Applications of Fire Research
- Analytical Approaches to Public Fire Protection
- Community Risk Reduction for the Fire and Emergency Services
- Fire and Emergency Services Administration
- Fire Prevention Organization and Management
- Personnel Management for the Fire and Emergency Services
- Courses shall be delivered for academic credit only. Non-credit deliveries do not qualify for NFA recognition or certificates.
- FESHE model curricula are designed for delivery at their respective 100-200 level for associate’s courses and the 300-400 level for bachelor’s. Offering FESHE courses at anything other than their prescribed division levels will not be approved.
- While institutions are strongly encouraged to adopt the "standardized" titles used by FESHE, those schools whose titles differ from the FESHE model should know that NFA FESHE certificates issued to students would use the standardized FESHE titles. Students should be told to expect this. To facilitate credit transfer and articulations between schools, NFA, again, encourages schools to use the FESHE course titles and descriptions.
- To achieve recognition and retain it, schools shall agree to the student certificate process prescribed below and random compliance audits.
Associate’s
Bachelor’s
Curricula titles may be found on the FESHE Model Curriculum page.
NFA Student Certificate
A major benefit for achieving either FESHE designation is the opportunity for students to receive an NFA course certificate of completion. This certificate is awarded to those students enrolled in "recognized" institutions that offer model FESHE courses approved by the respective degree program committee. Specifically, students:
- Must complete courses with a passing grade and complete NFA's FEMA Form 119-25-2, General Admissions Short Form Application (PDF, 462 Kb). Instructions for submitting these to NFA are provided to a school after its request for consideration is approved.
- Enrolled in FESHE non-core courses at recognized FESHE institutions are also eligible for certificates.
- There are several benefits to having your students apply for and receive the NFA-FESHE certificates:
- As they move up in their careers, your graduates will request NFA transcripts from our admissions office. These transcripts will list completed NFA on and off-campus courses as well as those completed at recognized FESHE institutions;
- Whether documented through the NFA transcript or copies of the certificate(s), it ties the education back to NFA when applying for jobs;
- Documenting the completion of the FESHE six-course model core curriculum on a NFA Certificate of Accomplishment provides prospective employers with the graduates’ linkage to a nationally-recognized and standardized achievement.
For more information, please e-mail FEMA-FESHE@fema.dhs.gov or call (301) 447-1376.
