Overview
Lead with confidence in the moments that matter—from the fire hall to the council chamber. The Certificate in Fire Service Industry Leadership helps experienced firefighters and officers strengthen the leadership skills required to guide teams, make sound decisions under pressure, and represent their department with credibility in a complex, public environment.
Through a cohort-based learning experience—delivered primarily in person at fire halls and supported by online coursework—participants build practical capability in communication, labour relations, municipal finance and governance, change leadership, and inclusive people practices. Learning is applied immediately to real operational challenges, helping participants prepare to step into exempt officer roles and other senior leadership positions with a clear leadership approach and a stronger organizational lens.
With cohorts drawn from across the BC Fire Service and sessions hosted in fire halls, the program supports a province-wide perspective on emerging issues and practices while building relationships that strengthen collaboration beyond participants’ home departments.
About the program
- 32 credits total (16 1-credit courses and two 8-credit capstone projects).
- Organized into four microcredentials, each stackable and independently recognizable.
- Cohort-based delivery scheduled in partnership with fire departments.
- Predominantly in-person: face-to-face courses at fire halls with some online coursework.
- Graduates are eligible to apply for the Executive Pathway into BCIT’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.
Who it’s for
Structured as a series of stackable microcredentials, this program is accessible to both exempt officers and union members at various stages of their careers.
Industry partnership
Built on extensive consultation with Fire Chiefs, Deputy Fire Chiefs, Assistant Fire Chiefs, and union representatives from across the province, the program delivers contextually relevant, applied leadership education designed specifically for the Fire Service Industry.
Entrance Requirements
Application processing
Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Applications are submitted by prospective students upon approval by their sponsoring organizations. Speak with your Fire Chief to begin the sponsorship process.
Entrance requirements
Applicants must meet the following entrance requirements:
- English language proficiency: Category 2 – English Studies 12 (67%) or equivalent
- Approval from Fire Chief/Department to enrol
International applicants
This program is not available to international students. View available programs.
Apply to program
Applications for this program are processed by the SoBM Business Administration Department. Once a student has approval to enrol in the program, please reach out to BCIT_firstresponder@bcit.ca to begin the application process.
For more information, please contact Thomas Turniawan.
Courses
Program matrix
Check current availability of courses for this program.
| Microcredential 1 – Leadership Foundations: Self, Teams, & Collective Performance | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| XLED 1012 | Lead From Within: Sharpen Your Edge | 1.0 | |
| XLED 1022 | |||
| XLED 1061 | Unlock Team Productivity: People & Resources | 1.0 | |
| XOPM 1011 | Project Management: From Idea to Outcome 1 | 1.0 | |
| Microcredential 2 – Leading an Engaged & Inclusive Organization | Credits | ||
| XCOR 1201 | Build Belonging: Equity and Inclusion | 1.0 | |
| XLED 1052 | Difficult Conversations: Clarity & Care | 1.0 | |
| XLED 1111 | Lead Strategically: Align People & Purpose | 1.0 | |
| XOPM 2011 | Project Management: From Idea to Outcome 2 | 1.0 | |
| Microcredential 3 – Leading Change: Influence & Impact | Credits | ||
| XCOR 1031 | Communicate With Impact: Connect & Influence | 1.0 | |
| XLED 1041 | Creative Problem Solving: Insight to Impact | 1.0 | |
| XLED 1141 | Leading Change: Foundations for Action | 1.0 | |
| XLED 2141 | Leading Change: From Plan to Impact | 1.0 | |
| Microcredential 4 – Leading in a Municipal Environment | Credits | ||
| XLED 2001 | Municipal Labour Relations | 1.0 | |
| XLED 2011 | Municipal Finance & Procurement | 1.0 | |
| XLED 2021 | Municipal Recruitment & Onboarding | 1.0 | |
| XLED 2031 | Municipal Governance in British Columbia | 1.0 | |
| Capstone Projects | Credits | ||
| CORP 2000 | Capstone: Leadership in Action | 8.0 | |
| CORP 3000 | Capstone: Leading Operational Excellence | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits: | 32.0 | ||
Check current availability of courses for this program.
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
Program Details
Program delivery
Blended: This program is delivered partly on campus and partly online.
The program is delivered in cohorts, scheduled in coordination with fire departments. Scheduling options include weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly session formats, determined in partnership with the participating departments.
Program structure
The Certificate in Fire Service Industry Leadership is organized around four interconnected microcredentials and two capstone projects. The microcredentials each consist of four 1-credit courses delivered in a blended format—face-to-face workshop sessions held at fire halls across the region, combined with online learning.
Microcredential 1: Leadership Foundations — Self, Teams, & Collective Performance
Leadership development is the bridge between strong, operational experience and the next stage of responsibility—supervising people, improving performance, and shaping how the work gets done. Grounded in leadership foundations across self, team, and collective performance, participants strengthen self-awareness and decision-making, practice tools that build alignment and accountability, and develop practical approaches to improve productivity by matching people, roles, and resources. The courses in this microcredential support immediate application, while preparing participants to take on greater supervisory and leadership responsibility.
Microcredential 2: Leading an Engaged & Inclusive Organization
Engagement and inclusion don’t happen by accident. They are built through everyday leadership practices that help people feel they belong, can contribute, and are supported to perform at their best. Participants develop practical skills to strengthen equity and inclusion, communicate with clarity and care in difficult conversations, and connect day-to-day decisions to organizational purpose and culture.
Microcredential 3: Leading Change — Influence & Impact
Change succeeds when people understand the “why,” trust the process, and see their role in making it real. Focused on influence and impact, this microcredential strengthens the skills leaders need to move from identifying complex problems to mobilizing stakeholders and sustaining adoption. Participants build confidence in creative problem solving, practice communication approaches that connect and persuade, and apply change-management tools to plan, lead, measure, and reinforce meaningful change in their teams and organizations.
Microcredential 4: Leading in a Municipal Environment
In municipal environments, leadership is exercised as much through policy, budgets, and relationships as it is through operations. Grounded in the realities of local government, this microcredential helps participants navigate the systems that shape municipal organizations—labour relations and collective agreements, financial stewardship and procurement, fair and effective recruitment and onboarding, and the governance structures that influence decisions and accountability. Participants leave better equipped to represent their organization with credibility, make informed recommendations, and lead with confidence within the broader public-service context.
Capstone Projects:
Two work-integrated learning projects, with in-person kickoff sessions, scheduled faculty check-ins, and a final written report and presentation delivered to department leadership.
Continue your education
Graduates of this certificate are eligible to apply for admission into BCIT's Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program through the existing Executive Pathway. An Experience-Based Placement assessment will determine bridging requirements for admission.
Contact Us
Thomas Turniawan
Program Head
Tel: 604-432-8609
Email: tturniawan@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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