02/28/2012 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL 304                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          "An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska                                                                      
          Fire Standards Council."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:37:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  disclosed that there may  be some possible                                                                    
changes to  HB 254,  therefore it  would probably  not leave                                                                    
the committee today.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:38:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   CRAIG  JOHNSON,   commented  that   he  had                                                                    
introduced  the  bill at  the  request  of fire  departments                                                                    
throughout the state.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ERIN SHINE,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG  JOHNSON, explained                                                                    
that the  bill makes reasonable  changes to the  Alaska Fire                                                                    
Standards Council.  The first change designates  an existing                                                                    
seat  to a  member of  the Alaska  Professional Firefighters                                                                    
Association. The  second change adds  a seat for  the Alaska                                                                    
Fire  Chiefs Association,  and the  third, reclassifies  the                                                                    
existing seat  from a Firefighter Administrative  Officer to                                                                    
a member  of the Alaska State  Firefighters Association. The                                                                    
mission  of   the  Alaska  Fire  Standards   Council  is  to                                                                    
establish professional standards  for fire service personnel                                                                    
and  curriculum requirements  for the  certification of  the                                                                    
training program.  Under HB 304,  the governor  appoints one                                                                    
member from  each of  the three  associations to  the Alaska                                                                    
Fire  Standards  Council  from  a  list  of  a  least  three                                                                    
nominees  submitted by  each association.  The intent  of HB
   is  to   ensure  that   all  three   associations  are                                                                    
represented on  the Alaska Fire  Standards Council  and that                                                                    
the  members can  speak with  the full  confidence of  their                                                                    
respective associations in council meetings.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Doogan  questioned  what  happens  when  all                                                                    
twelve members show up and want to vote.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Shine said  that currently the board  consists of eleven                                                                    
members, but  will become  a twelve  member board  under the                                                                    
bill.  In  the event  that  all  twelve voting  members  are                                                                    
there, the Chair will abstain from voting.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:41:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOM  WESTCOTT, PRESIDENT,  ALASKA PROFESSIONAL  FIREFIGHTERS                                                                    
(via teleconference),  voiced his  support for the  bill. He                                                                    
disclosed that the Standards Council  gave their support for                                                                    
this  legislation. The  main goal  is for  it to  be another                                                                    
tool to assist the Standards Council in doing their job.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Guttenberg questioned Mr.  Wescott on why the                                                                    
legislation was needed, what was  the problem and how can it                                                                    
be fixed. Mr.  Westcott answered that the  bill designates a                                                                    
seat for the Alaska  Professional Firefighters on the Alaska                                                                    
Fire Standards  Council and insures  there will always  be a                                                                    
representative on the board. The  intent is for the position                                                                    
to be a valuable addition.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
GORDEN DESCUTHER, EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR, ALASKA FIRE STANDARDS                                                                    
COUNCIL (via  teleconference), testified  in support  of the                                                                    
bill.  The agreement  is that  both positions  would augment                                                                    
the council's ability to perform its mission.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:45:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF  TUCKER,  ALASKA  STATE FIRE  CHIEFS  ASSOCIATION  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  supported the  bill. The  addition of  the                                                                    
positions   puts   the   three  major   state   firefighting                                                                    
associations on the standards council.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze CLOSED  public testimony.  He referred  to                                                                    
the fiscal note. He believed  the funds were covering travel                                                                    
expenses for the additional person.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze indicated he had  worked to get the funding                                                                    
for the  bill. He  expressed that it  was important  to have                                                                    
standards  for  training,  whether for  volunteers  or  paid                                                                    
positions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  MOVED  to   report  HB  304  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note. There  being, NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HB  304 was  REPORTED  out  of committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and with  previously published  fiscal note:                                                                    
FN1 (DPS).                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:48:35 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:49:53 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED