Master’s in Rescue and Wildfire Vehicles: Digital, Telematics & Data
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in Rescue and Wildfire Vehicles: Digital, Telematics & Data: 12 modules covering wildfire emergency vehicles, on-board electronics, fleet telematics, emergency communications, GIS, fire behaviour simulation, predictive maintenance, crew safety, command and coordination, emerging technologies and procurement, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Rescue and Wildfire Vehicles: Digital, Telematics & Data — studying from South Africa
Mining, agriculture and construction make off-road and specialised machinery central to South Africa's economy. Mining equipment manufacturers and service providers support the country's extensive gold, platinum and coal operations, while agricultural machinery serves commercial farming. Engineers working on heavy vehicles and special machines focus on hydraulics, drivetrains and durability under harsh conditions. The South African Bureau of Standards and the Mine Health and Safety Council set relevant standards and safety requirements.
Fees for South Africa: R 90 300 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private and not accredited by any South African body. Engineering registration is handled by ECSA, and machinery safety standards are linked to SABS and the Department of Employment and Labour's regulations. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by employers or the relevant body, so confirm this with them before you enrol.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in off-road and special vehicles?
Mining, agriculture, construction and vehicle-conversion firms value practical machinery knowledge and proven problem-solving. A private qualification can support your application, especially with hands-on experience, but it carries no official status. Its weight depends on each employer, so ask potential employers in your field how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is 100% online and in English, so you can study from home without a student visa. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Check time-zone and workload expectations with SEIUM directly.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Know the types and technical requirements of wildfire emergency vehicles.
Integrate on-board electronics and telematics systems in rescue fleets.
Design resilient communication networks for emergencies.
Use geographic data and fire simulations in decision-making.
Apply analytics to predictive fleet maintenance.
Incorporate crew safety and operational coordination criteria.
Plan the procurement and life cycle of connected vehicles.
Who it's for
- Emergency fleet engineers.
- Vehicle telematics specialists.
- Emergency data analysts.
- GIS technicians working for emergency services.
- Wildfire station chiefs.
- Public procurement consultants for special vehicles.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter wildfire suppression.
What you'll work with
- EN 1846-2 (firefighting and rescue service vehicles: common requirements)
- EN 1846-1 (firefighting vehicles: nomenclature and designation)
- EN 1028-1 (fire-fighting pumps)
- Royal Decree 893/2013 (Spanish basic wildfire civil protection guideline)
- ISO 15638 (telematics for commercial vehicles)
- ETSI EN 300 392 (TETRA)
- Regulation (EU) 165/2014 (tachographs)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679, GDPR (data protection)
- ArcGIS Pro
- QGIS
- FlamMap
- Wildfire Analyst
- Power BI
12 modules
1.1Types: light, medium and heavy wildland fire engines1.2High-mobility 4x4 and 6x6 chassis1.3Classification according to EN 1846-11.4General requirements of EN 1846-21.5Centrifugal pumps according to EN 10281.6Tanks, monitors and initial attack lines1.7Cab protection and water self-protection systems1.8Technical rescue vehicles and water tenders1.9Crew and equipment stowage1.10Workshop: analysing the technical data sheet of a fire engine
2.124 V electrical architecture2.2Multiplexing and body controllers2.3CAN bus and SAE J1939 in emergency vehicles2.4Electronic control of pump and foam proportioner2.5Emergency and scene lighting2.6Energy management and auxiliary batteries2.7Thermal cameras and perimeter sensors2.8Electromagnetic compatibility2.9On-board diagnostics2.10Practical exercise: reading J1939 parameters of a fire engine
3.1Telematics units and cellular modems3.2GNSS positioning and corrections3.3ISO 15638 telematics standards3.4Real-time fleet tracking3.5Pump, tank and engine telemetry3.6Digital tachograph and Regulation (EU) 165/20143.7Coverage in rural areas and satellite3.8Cloud platforms and APIs3.9Security of telematics communication3.10Case study: telematics roll-out in a provincial fleet
4.1TETRA networks and the ETSI EN 300 392 standard4.2DMR digital radio systems4.3Mission-critical broadband over LTE and 5G4.4Satellite communications in wildfires4.5Mobile repeaters and mesh networks4.6Voice and data integration in the cab4.7Inter-agency interoperability4.8Communication protocols at the command post4.9Redundancy and resilience4.10Lab: communications plan for a wildfire
5.1Mapping of forest fuels5.2Digital terrain models5.3Tracks, water points and accessibility5.4ArcGIS and QGIS for emergencies5.5Integration of weather data5.6Risk layers and fire danger indices5.7Map synchronisation on the cab tablet5.8Metadata and quality management5.9Operational visualisation5.10Practical exercise: accessibility map for fire engines
6.1The Rothermel spread model6.2Scott and Burgan fuel models6.3Simulation with FARSITE and FlamMap6.4Wildfire Analyst simulators6.5Influence of wind and slope6.6Predicting spot fires6.7FIRMS and Copernicus EMS satellite data6.8Validating simulations against real perimeters6.9Using simulations in decision-making6.10Case study: simulation of a summer wildfire
7.1Engine and pump usage data7.2Fleet availability indicators7.3Anomaly detection in telemetry7.4Remaining useful life models7.5Planning condition-based maintenance7.6Management of critical spare parts7.7Dashboards with Power BI7.8Data quality and governance7.9Water and fuel consumption analytics7.10Workshop: predictive model of pump failure
8.1Risks of wildfire work8.2Entrapments and safety zones8.3OCEL and LACES protocols8.4Personal protective equipment8.5Physiological monitoring of firefighters8.6Heat stress and fatigue8.7Safe driving on forest tracks8.8Rollover and ROPS protection8.9Lessons learned from accidents8.10Case study: analysis of an entrapment
9.1Spain's basic wildfire planning guideline9.2Incident management system9.3Coordination and dispatch centres9.4Dynamic resource allocation9.5Coordination with aerial resources9.6Decision support systems9.7Inter-regional and international protocols9.8EU Civil Protection Mechanism9.9Recording and traceability of decisions9.10Exercise: coordinated deployment of resources
10.1Drones for reconnaissance and mapping10.2Teleoperated vehicles in high-risk areas10.3Computer vision for smoke detection10.4IoT sensors in the forest10.5Fleet digital twins10.6Electrification of support vehicles10.7Artificial intelligence for prediction10.8Cybersecurity of critical systems10.9Technology readiness assessment10.10Practical exercise: feasibility study of a tactical drone
11.1Public procurement of emergency vehicles11.2Technical specifications and award criteria11.3Total cost of ownership11.4Type approval and registration11.5Delivery and acceptance testing11.6Driver and operator training11.7Renewal and end of life11.8Protection of telemetry data11.9Service indicators11.10Case study: tender specification for a connected fire engine
12.1Defining the operational problem12.2User requirements analysis12.3Designing the digital architecture12.4Selecting equipment and communications12.5Data model and analytics12.6Implementation plan12.7Economic assessment12.8Risk analysis12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on SEIUM's campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, FlamMap, Wildfire Analyst and Power BI, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for a telematics roll-out in a fire engine fleet, fire spread simulation for resource planning and pump data analysis for predictive maintenance. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: EN 1846-2, EN 1846-1, EN 1028-1, Royal Decree 893/2013 (Spanish basic wildfire guideline), ISO 15638, ETSI EN 300 392 (TETRA), Regulation (EU) 165/2014 on tachographs, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, FlamMap, Wildfire Analyst and Power BI, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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