Course Organization

This course has been developed as an asynchronous (independent learning) opportunity for students wishing to enhance their fire service management and leadership skills. As such, students should acquire designated textbooks and follow the course sequence as presented on the "Modules" tab. Students starting at the top of the modules tab should complete each assignment which will be indicated by a green checkmark on the right side of their modules page. Once an assignment receives a green check mark, the student is then able to work on the next assignment on the list.

Students are encouraged to thoroughly read their textbooks and contact their instructor with any concerns or questions.

    Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Execute routine unit-level administrative function, given forms and record-management systems. (NFPA 1021 4.4.2; 2014)
• Prepare a budget request, given a need and budget forms. (NFPA 1021 4.4.3; 2014)
• Explain the needs and benefits of collecting incident response data, given the goals and mission of the organization. (NFPA 1021 4.4.5; 2014)
• Recommend changes to existing departmental policies and/or implement a new departmental policy at the unit level, given a new departmental policy. (NFPA 1021 4.4.1; 2014)
• Initiate action on a community need, given policies and procedures. (NFPA 1021 4.3.1; 2014)
• Initiate action onto a citizen’s concern, given policies and procedures. (NFPA 1021 4.3.2 2014)
• Respond to a public inquiry, given policies and procedures. (NFPA 1021 4.3.3; 2014)
• Explain the history of management and supervision methods and procedures
• Describe the basic theories of public sector management.
• Describe the traits of effective versus ineffective management styles.
• Explain the purpose of each management component of the organization, given an organization chart. (NFPA 1021 4.4.4; 2014)
• Identify and explain the concepts of span of control, effective delegation, and division of labor.
• Identify the roles of the National Incident Management System and Incident Management System

    Textbook & Reading Materials

Required

• Carter, H. R., & Rausch, E. (2016). Management in the Fire Service. 5th Edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. 

Recommended

• NFPA 1021: Standard on Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, 2014 Edition. National Fire Protection Association.

Attention

Textbooks are not provided with enrollment. Students are responsible for obtaining the materials needed to complete this course. There are many services online that offer used textbooks and textbook rental services. 

If you purchase or use a newer edition of these books, they will be more than adequate to complete this class and should not present any problems. Please notify us if any issues arise from newer editions, and we can make accommodations and updates at that time.

    Instructor

Michael Lloyd

Aircraft and Rescue Firefighting Specialist

MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute

Please communicate with me through the Canvas email and messaging system.

MU FRTI Instructor Cadre:

The University of Missouri Extension Fire and Rescue Training Institute provides student support and guidance through its statewide instructor cadre. If you have any questions or comments throughout this course please contact us directly. Your questions and comments will be forwarded to an instructor assigned to address and answer any issues that arise.

    Assignments

This course is reading intensive. As such, students should be prepared to verify their learning through online journal responses and assignments that help students relate key reading concepts to what is found in their response area.

All written assignments must follow APA formatting and at least 750 words.

    Activities

The activities included in this course are designed so that students may apply what they learn through their course readings and supplementary materials to their own department or response areas.

    Discussions

The purpose of the discussions is to give you an opportunity to learn from each other and explore the topics introduced in the course as a learning community. Sometimes, the act of writing can help us clarify, make connections, and draw implications from our experiences in new ways. 

We acknowledge that everyone's contribution will be unique and particular to their context and experiences. Therefore, we expect and welcome a diversity of contributions and viewpoints. We hope that everyone will bring to the course a posture of curiosity, interest in listening, and willingness to share.

As members of a learning community, writing publicly, in small amounts, and without much time to edit may be the greatest challenge of all in this course.

• We invite you to err on the side of jumping into discussions with our shared understanding that an online discussion board can never reflect your most robust thinking and writing, and that's not the point in this context.
• Our goal is to share what comes to mind and is shaping our thinking and actions in this experience together. 

We also expect that participants will bring different prior experiences, interests, and motivations to this course and how the discussions unfold will reflect this range.

    Netiquette

For a successful online course experience, clear, thoughtful communication is essential. Discussion forums and course communications are important venues for exchanging ideas and promoting learning. Your instructor and fellow participants wish to foster a safe and inclusive online learning environment. Constructive criticism and questions are encouraged; however, you will be expected to remain professional and courteous in all of your posts. You are encouraged to comment, question or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual.

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University of Missouri's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course atmosphere. As your instructor, I  reserve the right to delete any forum posts or blog entries I deem to be inappropriate for the course.

(Adapted with permission from MU Course Design & Technologies' Online Teaching Foundations)

    Diversity

We value the voice of every student in this course. We embrace our diversity as a group—in race, gender, age, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, language, ability, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic and veteran status, —is an asset, resource and strength that is critical to our learning experience.  As a result, we are committed to designing inclusive lessons and assignments that encourage diverse perspectives to be recognized and respected, while providing you with the opportunity to speak and be heard, explore your own understanding, and engage with one another.

(Adapted  with permission from MU Teaching for Learning Center’s Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom)

    Assessment and Grading

Successful completion of a module quiz by scoring a minimum of 70% is required to unlock the subsequent module. After all module quizzes are completed, the end of course project will be unlocked.

Quizzes are automatically graded and immediately available for review. 

To contest a quiz question or assignment score, email MU FRTI at frti@missouri.edu. Include the course name, the specific course element to be contested (for example: quiz name, the question number) and the reason for why you contest this element (for example: how you answered the question, and why you believe the provided response was correct).

    Course Completion

Upon completion of the in-person and online portions of this blended course, MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute will provide the student with a course completion certificate. The student's successful participation will be recorded on their MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute transcript, which may be requested here.

Completion of this course is a requirement for students pursuing the MU FRTI Officer Certificate program. 

Students successfully completing this course may also qualify for American Council on Education CREDIT hours, which are accepted towards degree requirements by many colleges and universities. (CREDIT APPLICATION PENDING) 

    Technical Requirements

This course requires a computer with Internet access. Students should bring an Internet-capable laptop to class. For the best user experience, we recommend you use    Google Chrome (63/64) as your browser.

For technical support, please contact   MU FRTI by email (frti@missouri.edu) or telephone (573-882-4735)

See our Getting Started with Canvas page for short tutorial videos to provide an overview of Canvas. You may also find this Canvas Student Guide helpful.

If this is the first time you have taken a course through MU Extension, let's make sure you can access this course again. 

If you are new to online learning, we recommend you enroll in our Getting Started with Canvas resource site. This is a one-stop resource site with no course requirements.  Explore today so you can focus on your course, not technology.  

If you have questions about this course, please contact    MU FRTI. If you need disability-related accommodations, please email   MU Extension ADA Support.   For technical support, please email    Canvas Support.

    Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards breaches of the academic integrity rules as extremely serious matters.

ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, and Academic Integrity: Students who use ChatGPT and similar tools on assignments without permission, or who use them in improper ways, are violating the academic integrity rules of the University. For a full explanation of the policy follow this link https://oai.missouri.edu/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-and-academic-integrity/

    Intellectual Pluralism

The University community welcomes intellectual diversity and respects student rights. Students who have questions or concerns regarding the atmosphere in this class (including respect for diverse opinions) may contact MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute Director, Harry Ward by email (wardh@missouri.edu) or telephone (573-882-4735).

    Executive Order No. 38 - Academic Inquiry, Course Discussion and Privacy

Faculty allowing recording:

University of Missouri System Executive Order No. 38 lays out principles regarding the sanctity of classroom discussions at the university. The policy is described fully in Section 200.015 of the Collected Rules and Regulations. In this class, students may make audio or video recordings of course activity unless specifically prohibited by the faculty member. However, the redistribution of audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course is prohibited without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Students found to have violated this policy are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters.

  
Accommodations

We all learn differently, and we want every student to succeed. If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need to make arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please let me know as soon as possible.

If disability-related accommodations are necessary, please notify MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute Director, Harry Ward by email (wardh@missouri.edu) or telephone (573-882-4735) of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations.