What's happening
This bill sets minimum qualifications for fire chiefs in departments with six or more paid firefighters, requiring specific training and certification.
Why it matters
Raises the professional standards for fire chiefs. in departments with six or more paid firefighters by requiring completion of specific training and education, ensuring leadership has up-to-date skills and knowledge.
Shifts authority to the state fire administrator. for establishing training requirements, allowing for more standardized and potentially updated criteria across the state, rather than relying on older or decentralized certification processes.
Exempts smaller departments (five or fewer paid firefighters). from these new requirements, which may help avoid overburdening volunteer or very small professional fire services, but also creates a distinction in qualification standards based on department size.
Clarifies the definition of “firefighter”. for the purposes of this law, tying it to the definitions used in other parts of state law, which helps ensure consistent application and understanding of who is covered by these new rules.
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Who cares
Fire chief candidates
Candidates for appointment or election as chief, or any rank carrying chief duties, in departments or companies with six or more paid firefighters would have to meet Civil Service Law qualification requirements.
Fire departments and fire companies
Those with six or more paid firefighters would have to apply the qualification requirements when selecting a chief.
Local governments and fire districts employing five firefighters
The bill would exempt their appointments from Civil Service Law section 58-a, expanding the current exemption for employers with fewer than five firefighters.
State fire administrator
The bill would replace references to minimum contact-hour courses and supervisory-level certification with training and education requirements established by the administrator.
Headline styles
Set Fire Chief Qualifications
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.525
- Referred to civil service and pensions
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5206
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the civil service law and the general municipal 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 six 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 and paragraph (b) of subdivision 7 of section 58-a of the civil service law, subdivision 6 as amended and paragraph (b) of subdivision 7 as added by chapter 406 of the laws of 2018, are 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 [fewer than five] five or fewer fire fighters.
(b) has successfully completed training and education [courses of minimum contact hour criteria approved] requirements established by the state fire administrator [and received certification for supervisory level 1 or higher pursuant to 19 NYCRR 427.9].
§ 2. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 204-dd to read as follows:
§ 204-dd. Qualifications of a fire chief. No person shall be eligible for appointment or election as the fire chief, or any title or rank that includes the duties of the chief, in any fire department or fire company with six or more paid firefighters, unless he or she meets the requirements established pursuant to subdivision seven of section fifty-eight-a of the civil service law. For the purpose of this section, the term firefighter shall mean a member of a fire department whose duties include fire service as defined in paragraph d of subdivision eleven of section three hundred two of the retirement and social security law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11078-01-9
S. 5206 2
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective 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 and the general municipal 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 six or more paid firefighters
Purpose or general idea of bill
This is a chapter amendment that makes changes to provisions of L.2018, c.406, to clarify provisions relating to the minimum qualifications to serve as a fire chief.
Summary of provisions
The chapter amendment clarifies that the training requirements to become a fire chief of certain combinations departments (mix of volunteers and professional firefighters) in New York State shall apply to both volun- teer and professional firefighters.
Justification
The underlying bill was enacted to ensure critical, yet basic, educa- tion, health and physical fitness training benchmarks for fire chiefs in certain combination departments. This amendment further clarifies that such requirements shall apply to both professional and volunteer fire- fighters serving as fire chiefs.
Prior legislative history
Chapter amendment to Chapter 406 of the Laws of 2018.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.