Hawai‘i Community College – Pālamanui now offering a Fire Science associate degree
Hawaiʻi Community College
Fire Science students and professors pose with the truck belonging to the fire science program.
Hawai‘i Community College (Hawai‘i CC) is pleased to announce it will begin delivering its Fire Science program at the Hawai‘i CC – Pālamanui campus in Kona starting in the fall 2017 semester.
Hawai‘i CC began offering an Associate of Science in Fire Science in Hilo in 2005. It has become one of the most popular academic programs with 110 Fire Science majors currently enrolled.
“Our graduates have found employment with local, state and federal agencies, including the Hawaii Fire Department, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Pohakuloa Training Area and federal agencies on the mainland,” said Jack Minassian, Assistant Professor of Fire Science and the Fire Science Program Coordinator. “Numerous county fire personnel have also attended the program to further their education.”
“We are excited to be bringing the Fire Science program to the Pālamanui campus,” said Dr. Marty Fletcher, Director of Hawai‘i CC – Pālamanui. “This will make it more convenient for West Hawai‘i residents to earn a degree and pursue a career in the fire service.”
Skills taught by the program are valued by other industries as well.
Fire Science students can earn an Associate of Science degree and/or a Certificate of Achievement.
For students interested in a bachelor’s degree, Hawai‘i CC has a transfer agreement with Colorado State University (CSU) that allows Hawai‘i CC Fire Science graduates to easily enter CSU’s online Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services Administration program. Students can complete the online Bachelor of Science program while living on Hawai‘i Island.
Hawai‘i CC plans to offer the program every two years at the Pālamanui campus, with the first cohort starting in fall 2017 and the second in fall 2019.
Students starting the program are required to take three fire science classes and a lab their first semester. Classes will be held on the Hawai‘i CC – Pālamanui campus Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 8:15 p.m.
The deadline to apply for fall 2017 is August 1, and classes start August 21. Prospective students should contact the Hawai‘i CC – Pālamanui Office of Student Services at 969-8816 or contact Assistant Professor Jack Minassian at jackm@hawaii.edu.
PHOTO CAPTION: Hawai‘i Community College Fire Science students, Fire Science Assistant Professor Jack Minassian (far left), and Diesel Mechanics Assistant Professor Mitchell Soares (far right) pose for a photo with the fire truck that belongs to the Fire Science program. The Hawai‘i CC The Fire Science program is expanding and will be available at the Hawai‘i Community College – Pālamanui campus in Kona starting in the fall 2017 semester.
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