HOUSE BILL No. 5860

 

March 14, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Farhat and Kolb and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

     A bill to amend 1966 PA 291, entitled

 

"Fire fighters training council act of 1966,"

 

by amending the title and sections 3, 9, 11, and 14 (MCL 29.363,

 

29.369, 29.371, and 29.374), the title and section 3 as amended by

 

1987 PA 196 and section 9 as amended by 1988 PA 458.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

                                TITLE

 

     An act to  provide for the creation of a  create the fire

 

fighters training council; to  provide for  prescribe the powers

 

and duties of the council, the state fire marshal, and certain fire

 

departments  or  and other organizations; to  provide for the

 

establishment of  create the fire fighters training council fund

 

and to provide for allocations  therefrom  from the fund to local

 

agencies of government participating in a  fire fighters  

 

firefighters training program; and to make an appropriation.


 

     Sec. 3. (1) The fire fighters training council is  hereby

 

created  within  in the bureau of fire services in the department

 

of  state police  labor and economic growth and shall consist of 7

 

members selected as follows:

 

     (a) The  director of state police  state fire marshal, or his

 

or her designated representative, shall be ex-officio a member.

 

     (b) Two members appointed to the council by the governor from

 

a list of 5  active  or more members submitted by the Michigan

 

association of fire  chief's association  chiefs.

 

     (c) One member appointed to the council by the governor from a

 

list of 3  active fire fighters  or more members submitted by the  

 

Michigan  state fire fighter's association  professional fire

 

fighters union.

 

     (d) One member appointed to the council by the governor from a

 

list of 3 or more names submitted by the Michigan state firemen's

 

association.

 

     (e) One member appointed to the council by the governor from a

 

list of 3 or more names submitted by the  metropolitan club of

 

America, incorporated  Michigan fire services instruction

 

association.

 

     (f) One member appointed to the council by the governor from a

 

list of 2 or more names submitted by the Michigan townships

 

association and 2 or more names submitted by the Michigan municipal

 

league.

 

     (2) All appointments made by the governor shall be with the

 

advice and consent of the senate.

 

     Sec. 9. (1) The state fire marshal, in conjunction with the


 

council, shall prepare and publish standards with due consideration

 

to varying factors and special requirements of fire departments or

 

other organizations in the following areas:

 

     (a) Advisory standards of physical, educational, mental and

 

moral fitness, which shall govern the recruitment, selection, and

 

appointment of  fire fighters  firefighters.

 

     (b) The approval by the council of  fire fighter  firefighter

 

training schools. The standards shall address, at least, the

 

following issues:

 

     (i) The qualification and certification of instructors.

 

     (ii) The courses of study, attendance, record-keeping

 

requirements, equipment, and facilities.

 

     (iii) The visitation and evaluation of instructors and schools.  

 

by the council.

 

     (c) The establishment of subordinate regional training centers

 

in strategic geographic locations in order to serve the greatest

 

number of fire departments that are unable to support their own

 

training programs.

 

     (2) Each fire department or other organization shall file a

 

statement with the council designating at least 1 training officer

 

or training coordinator for the fire department.  by November 30,

 

1988.  If a training officer or training coordinator is changed,

 

the fire department or other organization, within 7 days of the

 

change, shall file a statement notifying the council of the change.

 

     (3) The council shall develop and provide to each fire

 

department or other organization, upon request of the fire

 

department or other organization and at no charge, a videotape to


 

be used in training  fire fighters  firefighters. The videotape

 

shall not include training that requires a practical demonstration.

 

The videotape shall be based on the fire fighters I and II

 

standards set forth in  the  "standard for fire fighter

 

professional qualifications", national fire protection association

 

pamphlet  standard no. 1001,  1987  2002 edition. The council may

 

impose a reasonable fee for loss, damage, or late return of a

 

videotape provided to a fire department or other organization under

 

this subsection.

 

     (4) The state fire marshal, in conjunction with the council,

 

shall develop and administer an examination, which shall include a

 

practical demonstration, a written or oral test, or a combination

 

thereof, to determine a person's competency in regard to the

 

knowledge and skill requirements set forth in fire fighter I and II

 

standards of  the  "standard for fire fighter professional

 

qualifications", national fire protection association  pamphlet  

 

standard no. 1001,  1987  2002 edition. The council, upon the

 

request of a fire department or other organization, shall

 

administer the examination in each county at least once every year.

 

The examination shall be administered in 2 parts. Part 1 shall test

 

the knowledge and skill requirements set forth in fire fighter I,

 

and part 2 shall test the knowledge and skill requirements set

 

forth in fire fighter II. The examination may be retaken, as

 

necessary, upon request from a fire department or other

 

organization.

 

     (5) Within 12 months after a person's hiring date as a full-

 

time  fire fighter  firefighter, the person must pass both part 1


 

and part 2 of the examination to be eligible for continued or

 

permanent full-time employment as a  fire fighter  firefighter.

 

     (6) Within 24 months after a person's appointment date as a

 

volunteer or paid on-call  fire fighter  firefighter, a person must

 

pass part 1 of the examination to be eligible for continued

 

volunteer or paid on-call service as a  fire fighter  firefighter.

 

     (7) The examination described in this section shall not apply

 

to a person who is employed or under appointment as a  fire fighter  

 

firefighter on October 1, 1988, unless  a  the person subsequently

 

changes his or her status from a volunteer or paid on-call  fire

 

fighter  firefighter to a full-time  fire fighter  firefighter.

 

     (8) The state fire marshal, in conjunction with the council,

 

shall review and monitor the state and federal standards relating

 

to live fire training exercises in structures and make

 

recommendations to the general industry safety standards commission

 

for any new or modified standards  which in their opinion are  

 

necessary for the protection of  fire fighter  firefighter

 

trainees.

 

     Sec. 11. The state fire marshal and the council may:

 

     (a) Visit and inspect any  fire fighter  firefighter training

 

school, or examine the curriculum or training procedures, for which

 

application for approval has been made.

 

     (b) Issue certificates to  fire fighter  firefighter training

 

schools qualifying under the regulations  of the council  

 

promulgated under this act.

 

     (c) Authorize the issuance of certificates of graduation or

 

diplomas by approved  fire fighter  firefighter training schools to


 

fire fighters  firefighters who have satisfactorily completed

 

minimum courses of study.

 

     (d) Cooperate with state, federal, and local fire agencies in

 

establishing and conducting local or area schools  ,  or regional

 

training centers for instruction and training of  fire fighters  

 

firefighters of this state  ,  and its cities, counties, townships,

 

and villages.

 

     (e) Make recommendations to the state fire marshal, the

 

governor, and the legislature on matters pertaining to

 

qualification and training of  fire fighters  firefighters.

 

     Sec. 14. (1) The amounts annually appropriated by the

 

legislature shall be paid by the state treasurer in accordance with

 

the accounting laws of  the  this state upon certification of the

 

executive secretary of the council for the purpose of reimbursing

 

the  a city, county, township, or village for  regular fire

 

fighters  the following:

 

     (a) Regular firefighters in the fire department in an amount

 

not to exceed 1/2 of the salary paid to each  fire fighter  

 

firefighter meeting the recruitment standards and participating in

 

training  meeting  that meets the standard prescribed pursuant to

 

this act during the period covered by the allocation, plus $8.00 of

 

the necessary living expenses incurred by  such fire fighter which  

 

the firefighter that are necessitated  by  because the training  

 

requiring that he  requires the firefighter to be away from  his  

 

the firefighter's residence overnight.  The amounts annually

 

appropriated by the legislature shall be paid by the state

 

treasurer in accordance with the accounting laws of the state upon


 

certification of the executive secretary of the council for the

 

purpose of reimbursing the city, county, township or village for

 

volunteer fire fighters

 

     (b) Volunteer firefighters in an amount not to exceed $12.50

 

for lost wages, to be matched by the local municipality for each

 

fire fighter  firefighter meeting the recruitment standards and

 

participating in training  meeting  that meets the standard

 

prescribed pursuant to this act during the period covered by the

 

allocation, plus $8.00 of the necessary living expenses, to be

 

matched by the local municipality, incurred by  such fire fighter

 

which  the firefighter that are necessitated  by  because the

 

training  requiring that he  requires the firefighter to be away

 

from  his  the firefighter's residence overnight.

 

     (2) If the  moneys  money in the fire fighter training fund to

 

be appropriated by the legislature for  such  salary and expense

 

reimbursement  are  under this section is insufficient to allocate

 

such  the amount to each participating city, county, township, or

 

village, the amount allocated to each shall be reduced

 

proportionately.  In no event shall any allocations  

 

     (3) An allocation shall not be made under this section to any

 

city, county, township, or village  which  that has not, throughout

 

the period covered by the allocation, adhered to the standards

 

established  by the council  under this act as applicable to

 

personnel recruited or trained by  such  the city, county,

 

township, or village during  such  the period.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless all of the following bills of the 93rd Legislature are


 

enacted into law:

 

     (a) Senate Bill No. 1133 or House Bill No.____ (request no.

 

03197'05 ***).

 

     (b) Senate Bill No. 1144 or House Bill No.____ (request no.

 

03197'05 v **).

 

     (c) Senate Bill No. 1145 or House Bill No.____ (request no.

 

03197'05 w **).

 

     (d) Senate Bill No.____  or House Bill No. 5871(request no.

 

03197'05 x **).