House Bill 4429
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4429
By the Committee on Business Regulation & Consumer Affairs
and Representatives Ogles, Lynn and Dawson-White
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to fire alarm system
3 contracting; amending s. 489.505, F.S.;
4 defining the term "fire alarm system agent";
5 creating s. 489.5185, F.S.; providing
6 requirements for fire alarm system agents,
7 including specified training and fingerprint
8 and criminal background checks; providing for
9 fees for approval of training providers and
10 courses; providing applicability to applicants,
11 current employees, and various licensees;
12 requiring an identification card and providing
13 requirements therefor; providing continuing
14 education requirements; providing disciplinary
15 penalties; providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Subsection (28) is added to section
20 489.505, Florida Statutes, to read:
21 489.505 Definitions.--As used in this part:
22 (28) "Fire alarm system agent" means a person:
23 (a) Who is employed by a licensed fire alarm
24 contractor or certified unlimited electrical contractor;
25 (b) Who is performing duties which are an element of
26 an activity that constitutes fire alarm system contracting
27 requiring certification under this part; and
28 (c) Whose specific duties include any of the
29 following: altering, installing, maintaining, moving,
30 repairing, replacing, servicing, selling onsite, or monitoring
31 a fire alarm system for compensation.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4429
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1 Section 2. Section 489.5185, Florida Statutes, is
2 created to read:
3 489.5185 Fire alarm system agents.--
4 (1) A certified unlimited electrical contractor or
5 licensed fire alarm contractor may not employ a person to
6 perform the duties of a fire alarm system agent unless the
7 person:
8 (a) Is at least 18 years of age or has evidence of a
9 court-approved declaration of emancipation.
10 (b) Has successfully completed a minimum of 18 hours
11 of initial training, to include basic fire alarm system
12 technology in addition to related training in National Fire
13 Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards and access
14 control training. Such training must be from a board-approved
15 provider, and the employee or applicant for employment must
16 provide proof of successful completion to the licensed
17 employer. The board, by rule, shall establish criteria for the
18 approval of training courses and providers. The board shall
19 approve qualified providers that conduct training in other
20 than the English language. The board shall establish a fee for
21 the approval of training providers, not to exceed $200, and a
22 fee for the approval of courses at $25 per credit hour, not to
23 exceed $100 per course.
24 (c) Has not been convicted within the last 3 years of
25 a crime that directly relates to the business for which
26 employment is being sought. Although the employee is barred
27 from operating as a fire alarm system agent for 3 years
28 subsequent to his or her conviction, the employer shall be
29 supplied the information regarding any convictions occurring
30 prior to that time, and the employer may at his or her
31 discretion consider an earlier conviction to be a bar to
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4429
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1 employment as a fire alarm system agent. To ensure that this
2 requirement has been met, a certified unlimited electrical
3 contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor must obtain from
4 the Florida Department of Law Enforcement a completed
5 fingerprint and criminal background check for each applicant
6 for employment as a fire alarm system agent or for each
7 individual currently employed on the effective date of this
8 act as a fire alarm system agent.
9 (d) Has not been committed for controlled substance
10 abuse or been found guilty of a crime under chapter 893 or any
11 similar law relating to controlled substances in any other
12 state within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date
13 of application for employment, or immediately preceding the
14 effective date of this act for an individual employed as a
15 fire alarm system agent on that date, unless the person
16 establishes that he or she is not currently abusing any
17 controlled substance and has successfully completed a
18 rehabilitation course.
19 (2)(a) Any applicant for employment as a fire alarm
20 system agent, or any individual employed as a fire alarm
21 system agent on the effective date of this act, who has
22 completed alarm system agent or burglar alarm system agent
23 training prior to the effective date of this act in a
24 board-certified program is not required to take additional
25 training in order to comply with the initial training
26 requirements of this section.
27 (b) A state-certified electrical contractor, a
28 state-certified fire alarm system contractor, a
29 state-registered fire alarm system contractor, a journeyman
30 electrician licensed by any local jurisdiction, or an alarm
31 technician licensed by a local jurisdiction that requires an
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4429
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1 examination and experience or training as licensure
2 qualifications is not required to complete the training
3 required for fire alarm system agents. A state-registered
4 electrical contractor is not required to complete the training
5 required for fire alarm system agents, so long as he or she is
6 only doing electrical work up to the alarm panel.
7 (c) A nonsupervising employee working as a helper or
8 apprentice under the direct, onsite, continuous supervision of
9 a state-certified electrical contractor, a state-registered
10 electrical contractor, a state-certified fire alarm system
11 contractor, a state-registered fire alarm system contractor, a
12 journeyman electrician licensed by any local jurisdiction, an
13 alarm technician licensed by a local jurisdiction that
14 requires an examination and experience or training as
15 licensure qualifications, or a qualified fire alarm system
16 agent is not required to complete the training otherwise
17 required and is not required to be 18 years of age or older.
18 (d) A burglar alarm system agent employed by a
19 licensed fire alarm contractor or certified unlimited
20 electrical contractor who has fulfilled all requirements of s.
21 489.518 prior to the effective date of this act is not
22 required to complete the initial training required by this
23 section for fire alarm system agents.
24 (3) An applicant for employment as a fire alarm system
25 agent may commence employment, or an individual employed as a
26 fire alarm system agent on the effective date of this act may
27 continue employment, pending completion of both the training
28 and the fingerprint and criminal background checks required by
29 this section, for a period not to exceed 90 days after the
30 date of application for employment or 90 days after the
31 effective date of this act for individuals employed as fire
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1 alarm system agents on that date. However, the person must
2 work under the direction and control of a sponsoring certified
3 unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm
4 contractor until completion of both the training and the
5 fingerprint and criminal background checks. If an applicant or
6 an individual employed on the effective date of this act does
7 not complete the training or receive satisfactory fingerprint
8 and criminal background checks within the 90-day period, the
9 employment must be terminated immediately.
10 (4)(a) A certified unlimited electrical contractor or
11 licensed fire alarm contractor must furnish each of his or her
12 fire alarm system agents with an identification card.
13 (b) The card shall follow a board-approved format, to
14 include a picture of the agent; shall specify at least the
15 name of the holder of the card and the name and license number
16 of the certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed
17 fire alarm contractor; and shall be signed by both the
18 contractor and the holder of the card. Each identification
19 card shall be valid for a period of 2 years after the date of
20 issuance. The identification card must be in the possession of
21 the fire alarm system agent while engaged in fire alarm system
22 agent duties.
23 (c) Each person to whom an identification card has
24 been issued is responsible for the safekeeping thereof, and
25 may not loan, or allow any other person to use or display, the
26 identification card.
27 (d) Each identification card must be renewed every 2
28 years and in a board-approved format to show compliance with
29 the 6 hours of continuing education necessary to maintain
30 certification as a fire alarm system agent.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4429
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1 (5) Each fire alarm system agent must receive 6 hours
2 of continuing education on fire alarm system installation and
3 repair every 2 years from a board-approved sponsor of training
4 and through a board-approved training course.
5 (6) Failure to comply with any of the provisions of
6 this section shall be grounds for disciplinary action against
7 the contractor pursuant to s. 489.533.
8 Section 3. This act shall take effect January 1 of the
9 year after the year in which enacted.
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12 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Defines the term "alarm system agent." Provides
14 requirements for fire alarm system agents, including
specified training and fingerprint and criminal
15 background checks. Provides for fees for approval of
training providers and courses. Provides applicability to
16 applicants, current employees, and various licensees.
Requires an identification card and provides requirements
17 therefor. Provides continuing education requirements.
Provides disciplinary penalties. See bill for details.
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