You will find that many schools offer a fire science degree. However, you need to find the right one first. What are your plans in the fire fighting world? Do you want to remain a fire fighter? Do you want to move into management? Do you want to be an arson investigator? These are all options available in this degree arena. However, you need to select your degree program wisely. You want a program that will offer you the depth and breadth of training that will meet your department's expectations. If you have a degree, you can find other positions elsewhere if you choose.
The degree program should prepare you to become a fire fighter. The core of anyone in a fire department is the desire to help people and to fight fires. Whether you have hopes of moving into upper levels of the department or become an arson investigator, you can use the training you receive in earning your fire science degree. It all begins with developing your fire fighting skills. It continues with learning the way fire behaves under different circumstances. Combustion acts differently with different sources of fuel and different levels of oxygen.
You should find a fire science degree program that trains you to perform fire scene investigations. Once the fire is out, the fire department needs to determine if the fire was an accident or a deliberate act. Quite often experienced fire fighters take this role. In some departments, there are special investigators that do this work. It involves surveying the scene of any fire and determining how it started. That happens by looking at burn patterns and the way the fire spread. Even a regular fire fighter needs this training to give them insight on the way a fire behaves before the squad arrives on scene.
Complete your degree program. You have the right program in mind. The next step is enrolling and completing the training. You will learn all sorts of topics such as fire behavior and fire scene investigation. You will learn about fire prevention methods and the way structures influence fires. You will learn how to read blueprints and make sound decisions on how to approach a fire based on those plans. These topics are just a few of the ones you will delve into as part of your fire science degree. Once you complete the program, you are ready for graduation.
Find a job (if you already do not have one). Many find they can get jobs quickly once they earn their fire science degree. Fire fighting jobs can be quite difficult to get in certain areas of the country. With a degree, you have a better chance. This degree also opens up other jobs such as arson investigator or fire safety director. It is a good way to translate a successful job as a firefighter into something related but different. The choices are entirely up to you. However, getting a degree is a great way to take your job in new directions you never thought of before.