05/05/1998 09:23 AM Senate FIN

HOUSE BILL 473                                                               
                                                                               
     "An Act  relating to training  and certification  of fire                 
     services  personnel;  relating to  certification of  fire                 
     services   training  programs;   and  providing   for  an                 
     effective date."                                                          
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE  MARK HODGINS,  SPONSOR, reported  that HB  473                 
would  set up  a fire  safety  council similar  to the  police                 
safety council. There had been  communication problems between                 
the firefighting association and  the fire chiefs association.                 
He noted  that there had  been dramatic changes,  particularly                 
related to powers. He highlighted  page 2, line 27, which read                 
"the  council may"  instead of  "the  council shall."  Another                 
important  change   was  on  page  3,  line   22,  related  to                 
certification  being   optional.  He  stated  that   the  most                 
important change  was on page  4, Section 3,  stipulating that                 
the act would take effect July 1, 2000.                                        
                                                                               
Representative Hodgins informed  the committee that the Alaska                 
Fire Chiefs  Association brought  the proposal  to him  and he                 
had explained to  them that there could be no  fiscal notes in                 
order  for  it  to  work.  The  association  wanted  the  2000                 
effective date as it would give  them two years to get all the                 
rural  fire  departments  together and  to  develop  standards                 
everyone  could  agree upon.  The  main  emphasis was  that  a                 
Firefighter I  designation in  Bethel was not  necessarily the                 
same designation  in Anchorage,  Fairbanks,  Kenai, or  any of                 
the other place. There was a desire for standardization.                       
                                                                               
Representative Hodgins reported that  during the course of the                 
committee  process, it  was pointed  out that  duty aides  had                 
standards, but  not firefighters. Testimony had  revealed that                 
there  was  approximately  one   death  every  eight  days  on                 
average. Most of  the rural fire departments  had been brought                 
on board;  some saw the bill  as more big government.  An "opt                 
out" option had  been put in. In addition,  the membership was                 
brought  more in line  with the  firefighters association  and                 
fire chiefs association.                                                       
                                                                               
Senator Torgerson pointed  to the bottom of  page 3, regarding                 
the fire service  personnel fund. He asked what  the fund was.                 
Representative Hodgins  replied that there  had to be  a state                 
mechanism to  funnel the  dollars in order  to pay  for needed                 
materials such as  books and costs such as  certification. The                 
funds would be appropriated through  the legislature under the                 
Department of  Public Safety. The department  had been adamant                 
about not taking  on an extra spending liability.  He stressed                 
that  he had  clearly told  the firefighters  that they  would                 
have to come up with their own  funding, which would enter the                 
general   fund  to  be   disbursed  as   appropriate   by  the                 
legislature.                                                                   
                                                                               
Senator Adams  asked whether  Legislative Finance  agreed that                 
the  operation could  be funded  through statutory  designated                 
receipts. Representative Hodgins  replied that the process was                 
set up along the lines of the  police standards council, which                 
had been in existence for many years.                                          
                                                                               
Senator Adams asked to have the issue checked out.                             
                                                                               
Co-chair   Sharp  listed   people   who   were  available   by                 
teleconference  and  who were  in  favor of  the  legislation,                 
including Fire Chief Jason Elson and Scott Walden from Kenai.                  
                                                                               
Senator  Torgerson  MOVED  to  REPORT  CSHB  473(FIN)  out  of                 
committee  with  individual recommendations  and  accompanying                 
fiscal note. There being no OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                      
                                                                               
CSHB  473(FIN)   was  REPORTED   out  of  committee   with  no                 
recommendation and  attached fiscal note by  the Department of                 
Public Safety.