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Fire and Emergency Response Management (FERM)
Information
Degrees
- Undergraduate: A major in Fire and Emergency Response Management (FERM) can lead to a Bachelor of Applied Studies degree.
Bachelor of Applied Studies Degree
Students may complete course work leading to the Bachelor of Applied Studies degree with a major in a major in Fire and Emergency Response Management.
The BAS Degree includes three components: (1) the General Education required course work, (2) course work to satisfy the Fire and Emergency Response Management and (3) elective courses to meet minimum graduation requirements.
Transfer of general education course work: The Bachelor of Applied Studies degree program recognizes the Associate of Arts and Science degree from University of Wisconsin System institutions as having satisfied the program’s General Education requirements. Associate degrees from other colleges and universities are evaluated on a course-by-course basis in accordance with UW–Oshkosh transfer credit policies.
The Goal(s)
The BAS degree program is designed especially for the working adult with an Applied Associate Degree.
The Major(s): The Fire and Emergency Response Management Major The Fire and Emergency Response Management Major consists of interdisciplinary theme and contemporary issue courses, research seminars and a final capstone seminar, all which emphasize verbal and written communication skills, problem solving and critical analysis. See below for required course work.
Admission/Graduation Requirements
BAS Degree
Admission to the BAS degree program is governed by the general admission policies of the University as stipulated in this Undergraduate Bulletin. Applicants to the BAS program must have successfully completed a high school diploma or Graduation Equivalency Diploma (GED/HSED) and, in the case of reentry and transfer students, must enjoy good academic standing with a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for all prior collegiate work.
In addition, applicants to a BAS degree program must have completed an approved Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. (Graduates of other technical college or community college programs will be assessed on an individual basis.) Approved AAS programs are specific to the major to which the student is applying.
- Graduation requirements:
- The BAS Degree requires the completion of a minimum of 120 earned semester credits, including required general education course work, the required courses for the Fire and Emergency Response Management Major and a sufficient number of elective credits to meet the 120 credit requirement.
- General Baccalaureate Degree requirements:
- At least 30 credits of the 120 semester credits applied to the degree must be earned in UW–Oshkosh courses.
- At least 15 of the final 30 semester credits applied to the degree must be earned in UW–Oshkosh courses.
- A minimum of 35 of the 120 semester credits must be earned in upper-level courses (courses recognized and numbered at the 300 and 400 level).
- The BAS degree requires a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in the following categories:
- Official grade point average
- All upper-level credits attempted
- All credits in the major
The Major(s), with Emphases and/or Options
Fire and Emergency Response Management Major
- Required Credits: 42 minimum
- Required Core Courses:
- Professional Studies 209
- Public Administration 221
- Professional Studies 230
- FERM 335
- FERM 362
- Professional Studies 463 OR Public Administration 369
- FERM 307
- FERM 337 OR FERM 338 OR Public Administration 364
- FERM 436
A. Fire Service Management Emphasis
- FERM 351
- FERM 401
- FERM 402
- FERM 408
- Communication 322
B. Emergency Management Emphasis
- FERM 365
- FERM 366
- FERM 340
- FERM 341
- FERM 342
The Minor(s)
- None
The Certificate(s)
- Emergency Management Certificate
- Required Credits: 15 minimum
- Required Courses:
- FERM 340
- FERM 341
- FERM 342
- FERM 365
- FERM 366
2. Fire Service Management Certificate
- Required Credits: 15 minimum
- Required Courses:
- FERM 335
- FERM 351
- FERM 401
- FERM 402
- FERM 408
Courses
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 307 | 3 (crs.) |
| Administrative Law | |
| This course provides a comprehensive overview of the foundational principles of administrative law, focusing on the role and influence of law within the federal and state politico-administrative systems. It covers key components of the Federal and State Administrative Procedure Acts and their implications for policy implementation and public administration. Students will explore legal frameworks governing administrative processes and decision-making, as well as critical issues such as equal opportunity and affirmative action. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of how administrative law shapes governance and policy, preparing them to effectively navigate legal challenges in public administration. Cross-listed: FERM 307/PUB ADM 307. Prerequisite: PUB ADM 221 or CRIM JUS 212 or instructor consent. 307/507 | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 335 | 3 (crs.) |
| Fire & Emergency Service Leadership | |
| This course is designed to develop and enhance the skills necessary to manage and lead a fire and emergency services department through the challenges of the 21st century. Students will learn about persuasion and influence, accountable budgeting, change management, and gain specific tools for analyzing and solving problems. The course also emphasizes the importance of internal and external cooperation to create a coordinated approach to achieving the department’s mission. Additionally, students aspiring to executive roles will learn from the experiential knowledge of leaders in the field to understand the responsibilities and roles of the executive team. Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in PRF STDS 230 or instructor consent; declared FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 337 | 3 (crs.) |
| Conflict Resolution for the Emergency Service | |
| Designed to introduce emergency services leaders to the study of ADR, or Alternative Dispute Resolution, this course explores the resolution of conflict through negotiation, mediation and arbitration. A variety of approaches for resolving conflict will be examined, from the adjudicative (arbitration, private or special judging, neutral fact finding) to the evaluative (peer, lay, judicial, and expert evaluation) to the meditative. Emphasis is given to the meditative process and its usefulness in the Fire and Emergency service industry. Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in PRF STDS 230 or instructor consent; declared FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 338 | 3 (crs.) |
| Mentoring for Emergency Services Personnel | |
| This course will examine the principles and techniques of effective mentoring, the mentor as a change agent within the Fire and Emergency services and the impact mentoring programs have in organizational settings. Students will examine and critically analyze their own mentoring experiences and the content of existing programs, and propose recommendations on how to develop or enhance a mentoring culture within the Fire and Emergency services. Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in PRF STDS 230 or instructor consent; declared FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 340 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Emergency Management | |
| This course will provide students with an understanding of emergency management and the historical development of the profession. Students will study the ways in which past events helped to shape the discipline and thoughts about its future directions. Topics will include predictive planning, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 341 | 3 (crs.) |
| Technology in Emergency Management | |
| In this course students will learn how the coordinated application of emergency management principles and decision making are enhanced through the use of technology. Technology enables organizations involved in critical incident management to communicate in a variety of ways with each other as well as with the public. Students will learn how to prioritize and purchase technology tools that can be used to protect the community. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 342 | 3 (crs.) |
| Disaster Operations & Decision Making | |
| This course adapts general concepts about sound decision-making and combines them with lessons learned from natural and human-caused disasters to create a new operational paradigm for disaster management. Emphasis is placed on team building, situational awareness, and operational systems that are typically incorporated into an Emergency Operations Center. These methods are designed to be incorporated into the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command Systems (ICS) framework to enhance community response to any type of disaster. Prerequisite: PRF STDS 209 | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 351 | 3 (crs.) |
| Occupational Safety and Health | |
| This course will provide the student with the basic understanding of occupational safety and health in the workplace, as it relates to emergency services. Topics covered include historical perspectives, setting up safety and health programs and looking at risk management as a tool for reducing injuries and line of duty deaths. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to take the NFPA Pro- Board Certification exams for the Incident Safety Officer and Health and Safety Officer, administered by the Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 & BAS-FERM major, Collaborative Nursing Program, Human Services, or Criminal Justice Online. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 362 | 3 (crs.) |
| Public Personnel Administration | |
| Personnel concepts and techniques in public organization, staffing, career systems, affirmative action, public unionism, compensation, fringe benefits, motivation, evaluation, supervisor-supervisee relations, etc. Traditional, behavioral and reform approaches in personnel administration. Cross-listed: FERM 362/PUB ADM 362. Prerequisite: PUB ADM 221 or CRIM JUS 212 or instructor consent. 362/562 | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 365 | 3 (crs.) |
| Policies of Emergency Management | |
| This course will focus on the political processes, institutional structures, public policies and social phenomena associated with mitigating the likely effects of extreme events, responding to them and recovering from them. The course is intended to help emergency managers develop an understanding of how local, state, federal and intergovernmental politics affect and are affected by hazards, crises, disasters and other extreme events. Cross-listed: FERM 365/PUB ADM 365. Prerequisite: PUB ADM 221 or CRIM JUS 212 or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 366 | 3 (crs.) |
| Emergency Planning and Administration | |
| This course will introduce the concepts, theories, principles and practices of emergency planning and administration. It is intended to provide students with the analytic tools and techniques they can use in ranking risks and anticipating crises and then developing and implementing strategic preparedness programs in the public sector. The course will identify the various aspects of government and nonprofit planning for emergencies and show how these plans are tied to budgets, operational controls and public accountability. Cross-listed: FERM 366/PUB ADM 366. Prerequisite: PUB ADM 221 or CRIM JUS 212 or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 401 | 3 (crs.) |
| Fire Prevention Organization & Management | |
| This course examines the theoretical framework for the understanding of the ethical, sociological, organizational, political and legal components of fire prevention. A methodology for development of a comprehensive fire prevention education plan will be discussed. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 and FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 402 | 3 (crs.) |
| Community Risk Reduction for the Fire & Emergency Services | |
| This course provides a theoretical framework for the understanding of the ethical. sociological, organizational, political, and legal components of community risk assessment and risk reduction. A methodology for development of a comprehensive risk reduction plan will be discussed. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 and FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 408 | 3 (crs.) |
| Management of Emergency Medical Services | |
| This theory course focuses on the role of the professional fire and emergency manager as coordinator and member of the profession. Emphasis is on facilitating lifelong learning and enhancing the qualities of mind and character that are necessary to act in the public interest, ethics and legal issues in fire and emergency management are included throughout the course as well as the theories of leadership, decision-making, change, and the advocacy process. Prerequisites: PRF STDS 209 and FERM major or instructor consent. | |
| Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt 436 | 3 (crs.) |
| Applied Research in Emergency Management | |
| This course examines the basic principles of research and methodology for analyzing current fire-related research. The course also provides a framework for conducting and evaluating independent research in areas such as the following: fire dynamics, firefighter health and safety, fire test standards and codes, fire safety, risk analysis and loss control, fire service applied research and new trends in fire related research. This course serves as the capstone experience for the Fire and Emergency Response Management major. Prerequisite: Instructor consent | |