HB 304-ALASKA FIRE STANDARDS COUNCIL                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:17:26 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI stated  that HB 304 was  before the committee.                                                               
He noted that  the bill makes several changes  to the composition                                                               
of the Alaska Fire Standards Council.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ERIN SHINE,  staff to Representative Craig  Johnson, explained HB                                                               
304  on behalf  of the  sponsor. She  related that  HB 304  makes                                                               
three simple  changes to  the existing  membership of  the Alaska                                                               
Fire  Standards  Council.  The first  change  is  designating  an                                                               
existing   seat  to   a  member   of   the  Alaska   Professional                                                               
Firefighters Association. The second change  is adding a seat for                                                               
a member of the Alaska  Fire Chiefs Association. The third change                                                               
is   reclassifying   an   existing  seat   from   a   firefighter                                                               
administrator   officer  to   a  member   of  the   State  Alaska                                                               
Firefighters Association.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She stated that the mission  of the Alaska Fire Standards Council                                                               
is  to  establish  professional standards  through  fire  service                                                               
personnel and  the curriculum requirements for  the certification                                                               
of training program. Under HB  304, the governor will appoint one                                                               
member  from  each  of  these associations  to  the  Alaska  Fire                                                               
Standards  Council  from  a  list  of  at  least  three  nominees                                                               
submitted by each association. The intent  of HB 304 is to ensure                                                               
that all  three associations are  represented on the  Alaska Fire                                                               
Standards Council  and to  guarantee that  each of  the designees                                                               
from  the three  statewide firefighting  associations will  speak                                                               
with the full confidence of their associations and councils.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:18:47 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL asked if there would be 12 members on the board.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. SHINE  said that was  correct. She explained the  chair would                                                               
abstain from voting in the event of a full council.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GIESSEL asked why these changes are needed.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. SHINE  explained that  the addition of  the new  members, who                                                               
were previously not  full members, will allow them  to speak with                                                               
the  full confidence  of  their  associations regarding  training                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:20:38 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI opened public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JEFF  TUCKER,  Past-President,  Alaska Fire  Chiefs  Association,                                                               
testified in support  of HB 304. He explained  that currently the                                                               
Alaska Firefighters  Association has a  seat on the  council, but                                                               
the other  two organizations do  not. Designated  council members                                                               
can report  back to  their organizations, which  can then  have a                                                               
direct influence on the Alaska Fire Standards Council.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:22:18 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony and set HB 304 aside.