Senate Bill sb0876
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SB 876
By Senator Baker
20-59B-07 See HB 219
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to firefighting training;
3 creating s. 633.381, F.S.; directing the
4 Division of State Fire Marshal of the
5 Department of Financial Services to establish a
6 free firefighter training program; providing
7 for eligibility for training under the program;
8 specifying criteria for training courses;
9 requiring the division to consult with the
10 Firefighters Employment, Standards, and
11 Training Council and the division's Bureau of
12 Fire Standards and Training to develop the
13 training courses; providing for reports,
14 audits, and notice concerning the training
15 program; authorizing rulemaking by the
16 division; providing for distribution of funds
17 by the division to certified training centers;
18 providing for administration of such funds by
19 an advisory committee composed of certain
20 persons appointed by the council; authorizing
21 use of moneys from the Insurance Regulatory
22 Trust Fund; providing an appropriation;
23 providing an effective date.
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25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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27 Section 1. Section 633.381, Florida Statutes, is
28 created to read:
29 633.381 Free training for professional and volunteer
30 firefighters.--
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SB 876
20-59B-07 See HB 219
1 (1)(a) The division, in consultation with the council,
2 shall establish a program to provide free training to
3 professional and volunteer firefighters who work for an
4 employing agency. A firefighter who works for an employing
5 agency, for pay or as a volunteer, is eligible for advanced
6 and specialized training under this section if the training
7 increases the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the
8 firefighter. However, this training does not include basic
9 training which is required for certification under s. 633.35.
10 A firefighter is eligible under this section for the basic
11 firefighter training required for certification under s.
12 633.35 if the firefighter is an active volunteer with an
13 employing agency and enters into a binding agreement to remain
14 with the employing agency for at least 2 years after
15 completing training. If the firefighter departs before the
16 expiration of the 2-year period, he or she shall reimburse the
17 council for the full cost of the training.
18 (b) Each training course offered under the program
19 shall be of at least 4 hours' duration, shall be taught by an
20 instructor who is certified by the division's Bureau of Fire
21 Standards and Training, and shall be provided under the
22 auspices of a training center that is certified by the bureau.
23 (c) The training courses offered under the program
24 shall be developed in consultation with the bureau.
25 (d) Each course provided under the program shall be
26 audited each year and a report of the audit shall be furnished
27 to the bureau and to the Firefighters Safety and Health Task
28 Force.
29 (e) The division shall regularly provide notice of the
30 free training provided under the program to each employing
31 agency and state-certified firefighting training facility.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SB 876
20-59B-07 See HB 219
1 (f) Each training facility offering a training course
2 under the program shall provide the division with a semiannual
3 and year-end fiscal report.
4 (2) The division may adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1)
5 and 120.54 to administer this section.
6 (3) The council shall appoint an administrative
7 committee for each training center that is certified by the
8 division's Bureau of Fire Standards and Training. The
9 committee shall consist of the director of the center and the
10 fire chief of each locality served by the center. The division
11 shall distribute the funds it receives to administer this
12 section to each center on a per capita basis according to the
13 number of volunteer and professional firefighters in the
14 locality served by each certified training center. The
15 administrative committee of each center shall administer the
16 funds that are distributed to the center to administer this
17 section in the manner that best provides for the training
18 needs of the firefighters served by the center.
19 (4) Moneys from the Insurance Regulatory Trust Fund
20 may be used to carry out the provisions of this section.
21 Section 2. The sum of $15 million is appropriated from
22 the General Revenue Fund to the Division of State Fire Marshal
23 in the Department of Financial Services for the purpose of
24 carrying out the provisions of this act during the 2007-2008
25 fiscal year.
26 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.