What's happening
This bill sets new minimum qualifications for fire chiefs in departments with five or more paid firefighters, including education, physical fitness, and supervisory certification requirements.
Why it matters
Raises the professional and physical standards for fire chiefs. , meaning individuals will need to demonstrate specific educational achievements, physical fitness, and relevant health qualifications—even if they have extensive on-the-job experience but lack formal certification.
Requires completion of state-approved training and supervisory certification. , which aims to ensure fire chiefs have up-to-date knowledge and management skills, potentially leading to more effective leadership and safer fire department operations.
Exempts the largest city fire departments (over one million population),. so the new qualifications will primarily impact smaller and mid-sized communities, possibly changing who can be appointed as chief in many localities across the state.
Could affect internal promotion and hiring practices. , as current firefighters without the newly mandated certifications may no longer be eligible for chief positions, potentially prompting departments to invest more in officer development or to recruit externally.
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Who cares
Fire chief candidates
The bill would require education, health and physical fitness qualifications, approved training and supervisory level 1 or higher certification for covered provisional or permanent appointments.
Local governments and fire districts employing exactly five firefighters
The bill would remove their exemption from section 58-a, which currently covers employers with five or fewer firefighters.
State fire administrator
The bill would make the administrator’s basic requirements and approved training criteria prerequisites for covered fire chief appointments.
Fire departments in cities with one million or more residents
Their fire chiefs would be exempt from the bill’s new appointment qualifications.
Headline styles
Set Fire Chief Standards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.898
- Print number 6242b
- Amend (t) and recommit to civil service and pensions
- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Print number 6242a
- Amend and recommit to civil service and pensions
- Referred to civil service and pensions
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Set Fire Chief Standards
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Peter Abbate
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6242--B
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AKSHAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to the minimum qualifications to serve as a fire chief in any fire department, fire district or fire protection district that employs five or more paid firefighters
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 58-a of the civil service law, as amended by section 1 of part A of chapter 101 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to appointments made by any county, city, town, village or fire district which employs [five or fewer] fewer than five fire fighters.
§ 2. Section 58-a of the civil service law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this law or any general, special or local law to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for provisional or permanent appointment as a fire chief other than those chiefs employed by a fire department of cities with a population of one million or more unless he or she shall:
(a) satisfy the basic requirements for education, health and physical fitness established by the state fire administrator pursuant to section one hundred fifty-eight of the executive law; and
(b) has successfully completed training and education courses of minimum contact hour criteria approved by the state fire administrator and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11399-05-8
S. 6242--B 2
received certification for supervisory level 1 or higher pursuant to 19 NYCRR 427.9.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to any appointment as a fire chief established on or after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to the minimum qualifications to serve as a fire chief in any fire depart- ment, fire district or fire protection district that employs five or more paid firefighters
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require all fire chiefs in any fire department with five or more paid fire fighters to have minimum qualifications.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Subdivision 6 of Section 58-a of the Civil Service Law is amended to read as follows:
6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to appointments made by any county, city, village or fire district which employs fewer than five fire fighters.
Section 2. Section 58-a of the civil service law, is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this law or any general, special or local law to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for provisional or permanent appointment as a fire chief other than those chiefs employed by a fire department of cities with a population of one million or more unless he or she shall:
(a)satisfy the basic requirements for education, health and physical fitness established by the state fire administrator pursuant to section one hundred fifty-eight of the executive law;
(b)has successfully completed training and education courses of minimum contact hour criteria approved by the State Fire Administrator and received certification for Supervisory Level 1 or higher pursuant to 19 NYCRR 427.9.
Section 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to any appointment as a fire chief established on or after such date.
Justification
This legislation creates critical, yet basic, education, health and physical fitness training benchmarks for fire chiefs in any fire depart- ment, fire district, or fire protection district that employs five or more paid fire fighters in areas outside of New York City. In addition, this legislation required a minimum of five years as a lieutenant or higher prior to being promoted to chief. This ensures a transition where fire chiefs are learning necessary leadership skills at different levels within the organization.
Currently, in New York State there are no training requirements to become a fire chief of a combination department (mix of volunteers and professional firefighters). This potential lack of training or under- standing of fire situations can seriously jeopardize the lives of the brave men and women on the scene of a fire under the direction of the chief.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to any appointment as a fire chief estab- lished on or after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.