Programs handbooks

Fire Protection Technology: Program overview

About

Welcome to PCC and the HEP Pathway

Welcome to Portland Community College and the start of your path to a rewarding career!

The Healthcare & Emergency Professions (HEP) pathway provides opportunities for students to gain certificates, degrees, licensure, and/or credentials to further their careers in healthcare and emergency services fields. Many of our programs provide hands-on learning opportunities with advanced technology, practical training in clinical settings, and instructors with industry experience. Program graduates are in high demand in the healthcare and emergency professions industry and have the potential to earn excellent wages and benefits.

For more information about the Healthcare & Emergency Professions pathway, see the programs offered. See the Healthcare programs comparison chart to compare degrees and certificates offered, program costs, and potential salaries offered in each career path.

About Fire Protection Technology

Portland Community College’s Fire Protection Technology (FP) program offers a unique opportunity to launch a career of public service in a short amount of time. PCC provides a diverse yet relevant variety of courses. The program correlates classroom, laboratory, and field experience in public and private sector fire organizations. Students are trained to the National Fire Protection Association and the National Fire Academy standards.

Mission and values

Collaborate and partner with emergency response agencies, organizations, associations, and educational institutions to provide high quality pre-employment training and education, and professional development opportunities for career and volunteer emergency response personnel to meet industry needs for a skilled and diverse professional workforce.

Goals and objectives

  • Make the Fire Protection Technology two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree student successful in the marketplace.
  • Establishment of articulation with four-year Fire Administration institutions to facilitate the transfer of credits for students seeking bachelor’s and higher degrees.
  • Prepare first year of Fire Protection Technology students for further career development.
  • Establish regional hiring initiatives, including physical testing.
  • Add more online training and education courses designed to meet national standards.
  • Evaluate the current degree to ensure that it meets the need for pre-employment and professional development training and education.

Graduate achievement

See the outcomes assessment reports on the Fire Protection program website for enrollment and graduation success data.

Accreditation

Portland Community College is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). For more information, see the college’s Accreditation webpage.

Both the Fire Protection Technology degree and certificate are accredited through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). The degree program was reaccredited in 2024 and the certificate program was reaccredited in 2022. The program provides IFSAC certifications for Fire Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations, Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Fire Instructor I, and Fire Officer I.

Costs

In addition to the costs of attending Portland Community College, there are costs associated specifically with the Fire Academy (FP 111 & FP 112). Students should anticipate the following costs:

  • Course book (IFSTA essentials): $95 new or $72 used (if available)
  • Uniform:
    • Items purchased from the PCC Cascade Bookstore:
      • Sweatpants: $24.95
      • Fire science T-shirt: $10.95 (recommend buying 3 – $32.85 total)
      • Fire science shorts: $19.25
    • Items purchased from Galls:
      • Galls uniform navy blue pants: $50
      • Galls uniform boots: $60
      • Galls uniform belt: $25

Leadership

Janeen Hull
PCC – Academic & Career Pathways Dean

See the PCC Organizational Guide for information about college administration.

Contacts

Portland Community College
Cascade Campus
705 N. Killingsworth Street
Portland, Oregon 97217

College mailing address:
PO Box 19000
Portland, Oregon 97280-0990

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee plays a vital role in ensuring the relevance and quality of degree programs by acting as a link between the educational institution and the community. It aligns programs with community needs and expectations, engages with the community for feedback, and continuously reviews program outcomes to maintain high standards. The committee also evaluates instructional equipment and materials to ensure they are up-to-date and effective. Through these efforts, the Advisory Committee ensures that degree programs are academically rigorous, practically relevant, and responsive to community needs (adapted from IFSAC Degree Accreditation Criteria, 2023).

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Academic overview