FESHE, the NPD Model, and Current Developments

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Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Program


Working with coordinators of two and four-year academic fire and 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 profession to reduce loss of life and property from fire and other hazards."

To accomplish this mission, NFA convenes annually:

• Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Conferences on its campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Representatives from fire-related degrees 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 FESHE and the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.
• Promoting academic research and scholarship and the development of students' research skills.
• Development and adoption of a national program mark.

Reading Assignment: Please read a series of articles by Dr. Denis Onieal, National Fire Academy Superintendent, regarding the future of fire and emergency services training. ProfStatus Part 1.pdf ProfStatus Part 2.pdf ProfStatus Part 3.pdf ProfStatus Part 4.pdf ProfStatus Part 5.pdf

The FESHE Strategic Direction

How activities are tied together are detailed in FESHE's Strategic Direction which can be viewed online at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/feshe_direction.shtm

Please read the "FESHE Strategic Direction" at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/feshe_direction.shtm. Then visit the USFA's Higher Education web page at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/higher_ed/ to get familiar with such topics as:

• What is the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Program?
• Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Strategic Direction
• Professional Development for the Fire Service: National Professional Development Model and Matrix
• Model Curriculum
• State Professional Development Summits: A Call for Collaboration
• Annual FESHE Conference
• FESHE Committees and Business Model
• Everyone Goes Home: Changing the Culture through FESHE
• Degree Schools and Programs
• Research Resource Links
• Virtual LAMP-Post Listserv

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