Fire Protection Technician | Western Technical College

Fire Protection Technician

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Associate Degree

Program Number: 

105032

Credits: 

60.00
Financial Aid Eligible

Typical Start: 

Fall

If you enjoy an adrenaline rush and have a desire to help people in need, think about a future in the fire protection field. Fire protection technicians respond to accidents, fires, natural disasters, and other emergencies that threaten life or property. They work in teams to rescue victims, render aid, recover property, and operate fire-fighting equipment such as ladders and pumpers.

When not responding to emergencies, you can be educating individuals and businesses on fire safety, maintaining fire fighting equipment, or even working as a fire inspector or investigator. In most cases, you will work for a city fire department, but opportunities also exist at airports, chemical plants, and forested areas. You may also work for a fire equipment vendor or insurance company.

In this program, you’ll learn the latest fire-prevention and fire-fighting techniques in the classroom and through simulations of real-life situations. You’ll spend one semester as an intern with a fire department.

This training prepares you for Wisconsin Firefighter I, Fire Inspection I, Hazmat Technician, Driver/Operator-Pumper certification and Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (NREMT-B). You may want to pursue Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic certification (NREMT-P) to increase your chances of employment after graduation.

Courses are held at Western's state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Facility in Sparta.

To view the Fire Protection Technician program’s required disclosure on professional licensure, please click here.

Fire Protection Technician image
Estimated Program Costs

Estimated Program Cost

Fire Protection Technician

This program will cost about $9,900* based on tuition and basic program fees. There may be additional fees for books, materials, and testing. For more information on tuition costs, visit the Tuition Page.

* Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Graduation Employment Stats

Graduation Employment Stats

Western conducts a follow-up survey of all grads six months after graduation to find out if they are employed in a job related to their program, how much they are making, and where they are employed.

Survey information is not currently available for this program. Please contact an Admissions Coach or call 606-785-9200 for more information.

Career Opportunities

Firefighter
Firefighter/EMT

Program Outcomes

  • Living responsibly
  • Refining professionalism
  • Cultivating passion
  • Demonstrate professional conduct by displaying personal code of ethics, positive work ethics, flexibility, teamwork skills, physical fitness, safe procedures, and sensitivity to diverse cultures and individuals
  • Perform fire prevention activities including preplanning, public education, inspection, and investigation
  • Apply incident management and mitigation skills to emergency incidents
  • Meet professional fire and EMS credentialing standards
  • Communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and through written documentation with clients, coworkers, other agencies, and supervisors
  • Apply critical thinking skills to both emergency and non-emergency situations

Admission Requirements

College Requirements

Application
$30 Application Fee
High School or GED/HSED Transcript

Software and Technology

Most of Western’s classes require the use of a personal computer or laptop, standard software, internet access, and other technology-related items.

If you do not have a personal computer or laptop, or if the one you have does not meet the following criteria, resources may be available. Submit a Student Resource Request using our online form.

Computer/Laptop Hardware

  • Smartphones are not recommended for completing assignments.
  • Chromebooks are not recommended due to issues with installing software that is needed for classes, such as Office 365.
  • Web camera with microphone (usually built into newer laptops or can be purchased separately) is necessary for online participation.

Software Needs

For detailed specifications, please review Technology and Software Recommendations for Most Classes on Western’s IT Knowledgebase.

Campus Resources

Need Assistance?

  • Contact the Learning Commons! The staff are happy to answer questions, provide individualized assistance, and direct you to other supports as needed.

Transfer Agreements

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

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