FESHE Recognized
Our Academic Fire Programs are Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Recognized. All student's successfully completing a course that aligns with the FESHE model curriculum will give the opportunity to apply for a National Fire Academy Certificate for that course of study.
What is the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Program?
Working with coordinators of two and four-year academic fire and emergency medical services (EMS) degree programs, the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy (NFA) has established the FESHE network of emergency services related education and training providers.
The FESHE Mission is to:
Establish an organization of post-secondary institutions to promote higher education and to enhance the recognition of the fire and emergency services as a profession to reduce the loss of life and property from fire and other hazards.
To accomplish this Mission, NFA convenes annually:
- FESHE Conferences on its campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Representatives from fire and emergency services degree programs, State and Local fire service training agencies, and National fire service organizations attend the three-day conference.
- Meetings of standing FESHE committees where model course outlines, conference agendas, recommendations and new initiatives are developed.
Through these conferences and meetings, FESHE members have made remarkable strides in developing the:
- National Professional Development Model and its practical application, the Matrix, for states to adopt and customize as they move from an often fragmented and stove piped system of training, higher education, and certification to one that is competency-based and completely integrated.
- Model course outlines for fire-related and EMS Management degree programs in partnership with fire-related publishers to write textbooks that support them.
- Fostering culture change in Line of Duty Death prevention through a partnership between the FESHE community and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
- Promoting academic research and scholarship and the development of students research skills.
- Development and adoption of a national program mark. At the 2004 conference, the FESHE Program Mark was unveiled to the attendees. It represents the idea that within the ivory towers of higher education, firefighters and fire officers, armed with the knowledge and a college degree, can reduce the human and economic impact of fires in their communities. This mark is public domain and may be used freely.
FESHE Strategic Direction
Strategic Challenges
In an effort to acquire an associate's or bachelor's degree or their next desired level of certification, fire service personnel typically accumulate college transcripts with unnecessary courses and dozens of training certificates. During this typical process of professional development, duplication of effort is common and desired certifications or degrees delayed. The national challenge is for state and local providers of training, education, and certification to integrate their activities to eliminate these duplications while enhancing the overall professional development of the fire and emergency services.
Strategic Goal
Working collaboratively, the professional development community will produce a:
- National model for an integrated, competency-based system of fire and emergency services professional development
- National model for an integrated system of higher education from associate's to doctoral degrees
- Well trained and academically educated fire and emergency services preparing the nation for all hazards
FESHE Forms
- FEMA Application Form
- Associates Course Codes
- Sample FEMA Application Form