FIRE SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN KENTUCKY

Kentucky is home to 676 fire departments employing 3,260 firefighters to protect rural areas and populated cities in the state. There are also over 100 fire investigators and inspectors that contribute a crucial role in fire safety and prevention. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians serve the state by responding to emergencies.

Wondering how much fire professionals earn annually? The truth is, the numbers all depend on a variety of factors including location, expertise, experience, education, and certification. Here’s a quick breakdown of average annual salaries for firefighters, fire inspectors and investigators, and fire service supervisors in Kentucky.

FIRE SCIENCE EDUCATION IN KENTUCKY

Kentucky is a great place to begin a career in fire science. Plenty of certificate and degree programs in the field are available through the colleges in the state. One of them, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, even offers some free classes to current firefighters or emergency medical technicians. Associate degrees, basic firefighter, advanced firefighter, and fire officer certifications can be earned at Hazard Community & Technical college in Kentucky.

Entry-level subjects include fire chemistry, basics of hazardous materials handling, and fundamentals of emergency medical services, to name a few. Students pursuing the associate degree will learn the core essentials to firefighting in two years.

In addition to certificate and associate degrees, students can also pursue a bachelor’s in fire science at Eastern Kentucky University. This university has a variety of coursework for firefighters to take, including fire and arson investigation, safety engineering technology, and fire protection administration. These higher-level coursework pays off, as most graduates are able to take on managerial and supervisory roles in their fire department.

In addition to education, students can stand out from the crowd by volunteering or interning at their local fire department to gain real-life experience in the profession, while working with peers in the same industry.

FIRE SCIENCE COLLEGES IN KENTUCKY

Browse through Kentucky’s academic options offering certification in fire science, associate, and bachelor degree programs in fire-related fields using our list and search tool below.

FIRE SCIENCE: DISTANCE LEARNING

Distance learning programs present great education opportunities for those with a busy working schedule. Students can take courses online toward a degree and interact with their peers and instructors via chat programs, email, and classroom discussion boards on the classroom portal. The studying can take place virtually anywhere with a reliable Internet connection, at any schedule most convenient to the student.

Because firefighting is a very hands-on field, it’s important to keep in mind that while a majority of coursework may be available to take online, students may still be required to meet on-campus occasionally to complete hands-on tasks and projects in-person in order to finish a class.

How long do online classes usually take to complete? Well, the length of online classes will vary. Some can take as long as eight weeks, and some may only take two weeks to complete, depending on the class. Some class lengths are entirely dependent on a student’s schedule and how quickly he or she wants to finish them. Ultimately, the online platform is a convenient alternative to the traditional classroom setting for those needing wiggle room for other obligations in their day-to-day schedule, as well as education.