HB 473: "An Act relating to training and certification of fire fighters, fire instructors, and certain emergency responders; and providing for an effective date."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 473 01 "An Act relating to training and certification of fire fighters, fire instructors, and 02 certain emergency responders; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 18.70.020 is amended to read: 05 Sec. 18.70.020. Duties of Department of Public Safety. The Department of 06 Public Safety shall 07 (1) aid in the enforcement of all laws and ordinances and the 08 regulations adopted under AS 18.70.010 - 18.70.100 and all other laws relating to fires 09 or to fire prevention and protection; 10 (2) encourage the adoption of fire prevention measures by means of 11 education; 12 (3) prepare or have prepared for dissemination information relating to 13 the subject of fire prevention and extinguishment; and 14 (4) administer the state fire service [FIRE-SERVICE] training and
01 certification program under AS 18.70.025; 02 (5) coordinate public and private agencies and institutions involved 03 in fire suppression and emergency response training and education and encourage 04 their use of national standards in their training program; 05 (6) to the extent of appropriations for the purposes of this 06 paragraph, assist public and private agencies and associations in the delivery of 07 fire and emergency response training and education through the award of [, 08 INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF] grants for fire service [FIRE-SERVICE] 09 training. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 18.70 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11 Sec. 18.70.025. Fire service training and certification program. (a) A 12 person may not serve as a fire fighter, a fire instructor, or an emergency responder on 13 a full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary, paid, or voluntary basis with a municipal 14 fire department or with a volunteer fire department registered with the state fire 15 marshal under AS 29.60.130 without the training and certification required under this 16 section. However, this subsection does not apply to a person certified under AS 18.08 17 who serves only within the scope of the certification issued under AS 18.08. A person 18 who violates this subsection is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Each offense is a 19 separate violation. 20 (b) The Department of Public Safety shall, by regulation, establish minimum 21 training and other requirements that must be met before a person can be certified by 22 the department as being qualified to perform service as a fire fighter, a fire instructor, 23 or an emergency responder with a municipal fire department or with a volunteer fire 24 department registered with the state fire marshal under AS 29.60.130. However, this 25 subsection does not authorize the department to set standards for certification of 26 emergency medical personnel who are governed by AS 18.08 and who perform only 27 services that are within the scope of their certification under AS 18.08. The training 28 requirements must be consistent with the training standards of the National Fire 29 Protection Association or other applicable national standards, as determined appropriate 30 by the department. 31 (c) The Department of Public Safety shall issue the appropriate certification
01 to a person who 02 (1) applies for certification as a fire fighter, a fire instructor, or an 03 emergency responder, other than certification under AS 18.08; 04 (2) meets the applicable training and other standards adopted under (b) 05 of this section; and 06 (3) pays the fee that is set by the department for the certification. 07 (d) The Department of Public Safety shall, by regulation, establish standards 08 and procedures for renewal of certifications issued under this section. 09 * Sec. 3. AS 18.70.025(a), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act, takes effect July 1, 1999. 10 * Sec. 4. Except as provided in sec. 3 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under 11 AS 01.10.070(c).