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Article 4. California Fire Service Training And Education Program of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 12. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 4.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the
California Fire Service Training and Education Program Act.
The Legislature finds and declares that the purposes of this
article are as follows:
(a) To reduce the costs in suffering and property loss resulting from fire through standardized fire training and education programs.
(b) To provide professional fire service training and education programs to personnel in fire departments that rely extensively on volunteers.
(c) To develop new methods and practices in the area of fire protection.
(d) To disseminate information relative to fires, techniques of firefighters, and other related subjects to all interested agencies and individuals throughout the state.
(e) To enhance the coordination of fire service training and education.
(f) To develop a coordinated and standardized plan for the control of fires and the safety of firefighters where hazardous materials are involved.
(a) To reduce the costs in suffering and property loss resulting from fire through standardized fire training and education programs.
(b) To provide professional fire service training and education programs to personnel in fire departments that rely extensively on volunteers.
(c) To develop new methods and practices in the area of fire protection.
(d) To disseminate information relative to fires, techniques of firefighters, and other related subjects to all interested agencies and individuals throughout the state.
(e) To enhance the coordination of fire service training and education.
(f) To develop a coordinated and standardized plan for the control of fires and the safety of firefighters where hazardous materials are involved.
The California Fire Service Training and Education Program
is hereby established in the office of the State Fire Marshal.
The State Fire Marshal, with policy guidance and advice from the
State Board of Fire Services, shall carry out the management of the
California Fire Service Training and Education Program and shall have
the authority to:
(a) Promulgate and adopt rules and regulations necessary for implementation of the program.
(b) Establish the courses of study and curriculum to be used in the program.
(c) Establish prerequisites for the admission of personnel who attend courses offered in the program.
(d) Establish and collect admission fees and other fees that may be necessary to be charged for seminars, conferences, and specialized training given, which shall not be deducted from state appropriations for the purposes of this program.
(e) Collect such fees as may be established pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 13142.4.
(a) Promulgate and adopt rules and regulations necessary for implementation of the program.
(b) Establish the courses of study and curriculum to be used in the program.
(c) Establish prerequisites for the admission of personnel who attend courses offered in the program.
(d) Establish and collect admission fees and other fees that may be necessary to be charged for seminars, conferences, and specialized training given, which shall not be deducted from state appropriations for the purposes of this program.
(e) Collect such fees as may be established pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 13142.4.
The State Fire Marshal shall employ under civil service a
program manager and staff as necessary to perform the functions for
which the program has been established.
All personnel of the State Fire Training Program with the
Department of Education shall be eligible to transfer to appropriate
positions in the California Fire Service Training and Education
Program provided they meet the qualifications for those positions.
The State Fire Marshal, with policy guidance and advice from
the State Board of Fire Services, shall have the following
responsibilities:
(a) To make fire service training and education programs, including training and education in the use of heavy rescue equipment, available on a voluntary basis to fire departments that rely extensively on volunteers.
(b) Cooperate with the State Board of Fire Services in the development of a minimum standards program for fire service personnel and fire service instructors.
(c) Assist and cooperate with State Board of Fire Services pursuant to Section 13142.4.
(d) Verify that minimum curriculum requirements, facilities, and faculty standards for schools, seminars, or workshops operated by or for the state for the specific purpose of training fire service personnel are being met.
(e) Make or encourage studies of any aspect of fire service training and education.
(f) Determine the need for and recommend locations of regional training sites.
(g) Develop a model plan or system for use by fire departments for the control of fires and the safety of firefighters where hazardous materials are involved.
(h) Study the feasibility of establishing within the office of the State Fire Marshal, a depository of information on hazardous material characteristics for use by local fire departments and other entities that respond to emergencies.
(a) To make fire service training and education programs, including training and education in the use of heavy rescue equipment, available on a voluntary basis to fire departments that rely extensively on volunteers.
(b) Cooperate with the State Board of Fire Services in the development of a minimum standards program for fire service personnel and fire service instructors.
(c) Assist and cooperate with State Board of Fire Services pursuant to Section 13142.4.
(d) Verify that minimum curriculum requirements, facilities, and faculty standards for schools, seminars, or workshops operated by or for the state for the specific purpose of training fire service personnel are being met.
(e) Make or encourage studies of any aspect of fire service training and education.
(f) Determine the need for and recommend locations of regional training sites.
(g) Develop a model plan or system for use by fire departments for the control of fires and the safety of firefighters where hazardous materials are involved.
(h) Study the feasibility of establishing within the office of the State Fire Marshal, a depository of information on hazardous material characteristics for use by local fire departments and other entities that respond to emergencies.
(a) The State Fire Marshal shall establish additional
training standards that include the criteria for curriculum content
recommended by the Emergency Response Training Advisory Committee
established pursuant to Section 8588.10 of the Government Code,
involving the responsibilities of first responders to terrorism
incidents and to address the training needs of those identified as
first responders.
(b) The State Fire Marshal shall contract with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Program for the development of curriculum content criteria specified in subdivision (a).
(c) Every paid and volunteer firefighter assigned to field duties in a state or local fire department or fire protection or firefighting agency may receive the appropriate training described in this section. Pertinent training previously completed by any jurisdiction's firefighters and meeting the training standards of this section may be submitted to the State Fire Marshal to assess its content and determine whether it meets the training requirements prescribed by the State Fire Marshal.
(b) The State Fire Marshal shall contract with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Program for the development of curriculum content criteria specified in subdivision (a).
(c) Every paid and volunteer firefighter assigned to field duties in a state or local fire department or fire protection or firefighting agency may receive the appropriate training described in this section. Pertinent training previously completed by any jurisdiction's firefighters and meeting the training standards of this section may be submitted to the State Fire Marshal to assess its content and determine whether it meets the training requirements prescribed by the State Fire Marshal.
The State Fire Marshal shall annually review, revise as
necessary, and administer the California Fire Service Training
program, shall establish priorities for the use of state and federal
fire service training and education funds applicable to statewide
programs, other than those funds administered by the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection, and shall approve the expenditure of
these funds in accordance with the established priorities. This
section shall not restrict local entities from independently seeking
and utilizing state and federal funds for local fire training and
education needs.
(a) For purposes of this section, the State Fire Marshal
shall be referred to as the SFM.
(b) The SFM may accept certification by the United States Department of Defense as a firefighter as an alternative for the basic SFM training and certification standards for the position of Firefighter I of the California Fire Service Training and Education Program, if the United States Department of Defense certification is accompanied by a national certification or accreditation that has been approved by the SFM and that is based on the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, Pro Board, or other accepted third-party certification standard.
(c) If the United States Department of Defense certification is not accompanied by a national certification approved by the SFM, as described in subdivision (b), the SFM shall follow the verification process adopted pursuant to the authority provided in Sections 13157 and 13159.
(b) The SFM may accept certification by the United States Department of Defense as a firefighter as an alternative for the basic SFM training and certification standards for the position of Firefighter I of the California Fire Service Training and Education Program, if the United States Department of Defense certification is accompanied by a national certification or accreditation that has been approved by the SFM and that is based on the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, Pro Board, or other accepted third-party certification standard.
(c) If the United States Department of Defense certification is not accompanied by a national certification approved by the SFM, as described in subdivision (b), the SFM shall follow the verification process adopted pursuant to the authority provided in Sections 13157 and 13159.
