Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development

Fire Leadership

The NEW Dalhousie Fire Leadership Program is now underway. After two years of work, our faculty is proud to introduce a fully revamped slate of courses, certificates, and diplomas. This program equips those in the Canadian Fire Service with the most up-to-date, relevant, and important leadership skills and knowledge it takes to be the best.

Today’s fire service needs leaders equipped to meet challenges and inspire change.

Offered 100% online, our courses are stackable so you can accelerate your learning. Get in-demand skills that meet your professional certification requirements.

Certificate in Fire Service Leadership

The Certificate in Fire Service Leadership (CFSL) provides fire service officers with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the fire service and add management education to their technical training. It consists of three courses:

Station Officer Essentials: People & Operations (12 weeks)
Fire Prevention and Suppression Management (12 weeks)
The Environment of the Fire Station (12 weeks)

Certificate in General Fire Service Administration

The Certificate in General Fire Service Administration (CGFSA) is designed to help fire service officers develop their administrative and managerial skills.

Required Courses:

Fire Department Human Resource Management I (12 weeks)
Fire Service Strategic Planning (12 weeks)
Municipal Finance (6 weeks)

Electives (choose one):

Specialized Certificates in Fire Service

These certificates are beneficial to those seeking further training in a specialized area.

Advanced Fire Service Administration

The Certificate in Advanced Fire Service Administration is designed to help fire service officers further develop their administrative and managerial skills, while allowing the flexibility to choose courses that will be relevant to their own departments.

Required Courses:
Organizational Behaviour
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting

Electives (minimum requirement of 68 hours):
Disaster Management and the Fire Department
Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation Management
Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives
Understanding EDI: An Organization Imperative
Municipal Law
Leadership Dynamics
Introduction to Occupational Stress and Resilience for First Responder Leaders
Emergency Medical Service Management and the Fire Department

Fire Service Human Resource Management

The Certificate in Fire Service Human Resource Management will identify human resource challenges faced by public organizations, discuss the importance of evaluating recruitment and other HR processes, and explain key features and benefits of mentoring and succession planning. It consists of these four courses:

Fire Department Human Resource Management II
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
Organizational Behaviour

Operational Planning

The Certificate in Operational Planning focuses on resources required for the effective management of a fire department, community emergency planning, and structured decision making. It consists of these four courses:

Disaster Management and the Fire Department
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Organizational Behaviour
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Emergency Management

The Certificate in Emergency Management focuses on incident command and disaster management systems in the fire service. It consists of these three courses:

Disaster Management and the Fire Department
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Organizational Behaviour
Emergency Medical Service Management and the Fire Department

First Responder Health and Wellness

The Certificate in First Responder Health and Wellness is designed to help leaders in the fire service learn about occupational stress and trauma so they can address the mental health needs of emergency services personnel.

Required Courses:

Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Organizational Behaviour
Introduction to Occupational Stress and Resilience for First Responder Leaders
Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
Foundations of Positive Psychology

Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation Management

The Certificate in Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation Management focuses on wildfire and climate change planning and prevention in the fire service. It consists of these four courses:

Disaster Management and the Fire Department
Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation Management
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Organizational Behaviour

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Accessibility in the Fire Service

The Certificate Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Accessibility in the Fire Service will help participants gain an increased understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion, identify barriers to effective inclusive communications, and recognize ways to optimize diverse teams in their departments.

Required Courses:
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Organizational Behaviour
Understanding EDI: An Organization Imperative
Inclusive Communications in the Workplace
Optimizing Diverse Team Performance

Training Officer Education

The Certificate in Training Officer Education is intended for any individuals that will be training, facilitating, coaching, and/or mentoring those in the fire service. It consists of these five courses:

Theories of Adult Learning
Instructional Methods
Effective Facilitation
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting
Coaching Skills for Leaders
Organizational Behaviour

Diplomas in Fire Leadership

Dalhousie’s Diplomas in Fire Leadership are designed to give Fire Service Officers the knowledge and skills to become leaders and managers within their fire departments.

Diploma in General Fire Leadership

Completion of three certificates (the Certificate in Fire Service Leadership, the Certificate in General Fire Service Administration, and one fire specialization certificate) is required for the Diploma in General Fire Leadership. Graduates of the Diploma in General Fire Leadership who have also obtained their Fire Officer II certification will meet the criteria for Fire Officer III.

Diploma in Executive Fire Leadership

Successful completion of at least 144 hours of coursework is required for the Diploma in Executive Fire Leadership. The prerequisite for the Diploma in Executive Fire Leadership is the Diploma in General Fire Leadership. Graduates of the Diploma in Executive Fire Leadership who have also obtained their Fire Officer III certification will meet the criteria for Fire Officer IV.

Certification

Fire Officer III Certification Track
If you have obtained your Fire Officer II certification, you may apply for Fire Officer III certification upon successful completion of the above courses and by submitting the application. In order to qualify for Fire Officer III certification, students must receive at least 70% on each of the courses. Program staff will then check your application for completeness. If gaps are found, you will be notified by Dalhousie University staff. Once your application has been approved, your request will be submitted to the Nova Scotia Firefighters School. After all requirements have been verified, you will receive Fire Officer III certification.

Courses:
Station Officer Essentials: People & Operations
Fire Prevention and Suppression Management
The Environment of the Fire Station
Fire Department Human Resource Management I
Fire Service Strategic Planning
Municipal Finance
Organizational Behaviour
Incident Command: Thinking and Acting

Fire Officer lV Accreditation Track
This four-course certificate will track completion of the following Dalhousie University Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development courses (or their equivalent), at least one of which must have been taken in the fall 2013 term or later. All must have received a grade of 70% or higher.

Required Courses:
Local Government
Fire Department Human Resource Management II
Emergency Medical Service Management and the Fire Department
Program Evaluation and Statistics

Important information for current students enrolled in certificates

If you have started the previous versions of the Certificate in Fire Service Leadership, the Certificate in Fire Service Administration (CFSA) or any of the CFSA concentration certificates, the Certificate in Incident Command, or Fire Officer III, you will receive credit for any courses you have completed. For guidance in selecting courses to complete your certificate, please contact openlearning@dal.ca.

Are you a student completing a previous version of a certificate? Please click here to see the list of certificates with hyperlinks. Each certificate page will provide the course requirements

Because High Standards Matter

Along with meeting the high academic standards of Dalhousie University, the Faculty's Fire Leadership Program meets the standards of important organizations in the Fire service. The job performance requirements of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1021) form the basis for our Fire Officer III and Fire Officer IV designations. To ensure this, our program is audited by both of North America’s fire service accrediting agencies - National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications, or "Pro Board", and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, or "IFSAC". This audit occurs every five years in agreement with the Nova Scotia Firefighters School and through our board membership on the Nova Scotia Fire Service Professional Qualifications Board.

Dalhousie University