Welcome to Fire 160-Wildland Fire Control - I

This is a 16-week online course, so we will not be meeting in person at all this semester. All of our course work and communication will take place online via Zoom, and here in Canvas. The primary purpose of this class is to provide an depth look at Wildland Firefighting, which is very different than Structural Firefighting. This course will benefit you greatly, whether you chose a career as a Wildland Firefighter or a Municipal Firefighter.

This course will also provide insights into whether a career in wildland firefighting is for you. There are many opportunities for you if this is the career path you chose. Some agencies that hire wildland firefighters is the US Forest Service, Cal Fire, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wildlife Agencies, etc.

How to Get Started

To begin the course, please review the entire Canvas site for this class. Pay close attention to the Home page, where all class announcements will be located. Equally important, you need to check your Palomar Student email on a daily basis during the week. On occasion, Zoom or Canvas might not be available, so I will connect with each of you via email whenever that occurs.

Nice to Meet You! - Instructor Contact Information

Below you'll find all of my contact information. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments about the course, or even if you'd just like to say 'Hello!' I look forward to hearing from each of you and getting to know you this semester.

- Name: Wayne Hooper
- Email: whooper@palomar.edu
- Phone: (760)744-1150, ext. 1705 (not available this semester)
- Office Number: Escondido Campus, Office 808f (not on campus this semester)
- Zoom or Skype Info:
- It is imperative we are able to communicate with each other during this semester. Please reach me via my email listed here. I will respond within 24 hours (except weekends). Please check your Canvas account everyday. I will use the announcement tab on a regular basis to remind students of assignments, upcoming events, etc.

About your Professor

Welcome to the best career in the world! You have chosen the most exciting job, if you can call it that. I have had the most adventurous life in emergency services and enjoy passing along some of those adventures with you, along with years of experience, so you may find the job of your dreams.

When I was younger, much younger, I spent 10 months in a Police Academy and then spent 2 years as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff / Police Officer. I decided it was a great job, but not for me. Off to Paramedic School at UC San Diego. I worked as a Private Paramedic in San Diego for almost 5 years. What an exciting time in my life. During this time, I became a member of the San Diego Police Departments SWAT Team as on of their 6 SWAT medics. The SWAT academy was one of the most challenging 2 weeks in my life! I also joined the STAR team (Special Trauma and Rescue).

I then spent the next 25 years working for Carlsbad Fire Department. I retired from there as a Captain Paramedic. Along the way, I was a Flight Medic for UCSD Lifeflight, Fire Investigator, Trench and Confined Space Instructor, EVOC Instructor (Emergency Vehicle Operator Course), and much more. You too will have many side specialties to develop along your career path.

I also served as an elected Fire Board Director for North County Fire for 8 years.

I have been teaching here at Palomar College for 16 years, the last 7 as a full time faculty member (Associate Professor). I have 4 Associate Degrees and earned my Bachelors from Cal State Long Beach.

My intent to share my background is not to impress you or fulfill my ego (well, maybe a little!), but to let you know the endless possibilities you have in this profession. I never "worked" a day in my life in the fire service. Also, I wanted to share these things with you so if you need any career advice or need me to review your resume, I actually know a little about life in this line of work and can share some things I have learned along the way.

Also, when I'm not teaching, I enjoy anything outdoors, especially backpacking and hiking. My life long dream is to hike from Mexico to Canada on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) in one summer. It takes about 4-5 months so I will have to wait until I retire. I also snow ski, snowshoe, 4X4, Target shoot, and explore old Ghost Towns. I am very active in my church and like to read as much as time permits (The Bible, Old West history, Revolutionary War history, Autobiographies, and Law books (yes, Law books!)

I look forward to getting to know each one of you and hopefully can assist you get the best job in the world!

Getting Started Module

Course Objectives

Fire 160 provides an introduction to employed firefighters or fire service majors with a fundamental knowledge of the factors affecting wildland fire prevention, fire behavior, and control techniques.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate their understanding of ethics and morality by making appropriate choices when given a specific scenario. Observation and evaluation from any of the following: quizzes, exams, written and oral assignments.