What's happening
This bill updates qualifications and training requirements for fire chiefs in New York departments with six or more paid firefighters.
Why it matters
Raises standards for fire chiefs. by requiring them to meet the latest best practices and training requirements set by the state, rather than just completing a set number of training hours—potentially improving leadership and safety in larger fire departments.
Expands oversight and consistency. by tasking the state fire administrator with creating and updating rules based on current best practices for incident command, ensuring qualifications keep pace with evolving emergency response standards.
Mandates statewide access to training. , directing the state to offer fire chief education frequently and across all regions, which aims to make advancement opportunities more equitable and consistent for aspiring fire chiefs regardless of location.
Clarifies who is affected. by defining “firefighter” and specifying that these rules apply only to departments with six or more paid firefighters, focusing the new requirements on larger, likely busier, departments where leadership standards may have the greatest impact on public safety.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Set Fire Chief Qualifications
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.678
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.571
- Substituted for A8341
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–2
- Ordered to third reading cal.1650
- Referred to rules
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 Qualifications
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Peter Abbate
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6524
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 14, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, the general municipal law and the executive 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 requirements as established by the most recently developed recommended best practices for incident commanders adopted by the New York state division of homeland security and emergency services, office of fire prevention and control. The state fire administrator shall promulgate rules and regulations based upon requirements established pursuant to the most recently developed recommended best practices for incident commanders. For the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11078-06-9
S. 6524 2
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 and has been assigned by his or her department as an interior firefighter.
§ 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 159-d to read as follows:
§ 159-d. Training for fire chiefs. The state fire administrator may conduct the training and education required for fire chiefs pursuant to subdivision seven of section fifty-eight-a of the civil service law and section two hundred four-dd of the general municipal law with sufficient frequency to enable individuals to satisfy the necessary qualifications for a fire chief pursuant to such section. To the extent practicable, such training and education may be made available in all geographic regions of the state. Such regions may be determined by the state fire administrator.
§ 4. 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, the general municipal law and the executive law, in relation to the minimum quali- fications 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 to the state
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.