Alabama Administrative Code
Title 360 - ALABAMA FIRE COLLEGE AND PERSONNEL STANDARDS COMMISSION
Chapter 360-X-1 - GENERAL REGULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
Section 360-X-1-.01 - General Regulations And Administrative Procedures
Universal Citation: AL Admin Code R 360-X-1-.01
Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 02, November 27, 2024
The General Regulations and Administrative Procedures Section of the Rules and Regulations of the Commission covers those areas that are required for all levels of certification and personnel administration. Specific requirements for each level are set forth in separate provisions that follow this section.
NOTE: Participation in the certification program shall not be mandated for any level or position of fire service personnel except trainee which is required by the Code of Ala. 1975, § 36-32-7.
(1) Responsibilities of the chief of each fire fighting agency.
(a) The chief shall be responsible to see
that all required forms and necessary information is properly filed with the
office of the Commission.
(b) The
chief shall be responsible to see that each employee, who is required, receives
the required training at an approved school. Training is required under State
Law when:
1. The employee is a firefighter or
fire protection personnel as defined in §
36-32-1, and
2. The firefighter is employed by a "fire
fighting agency," as defined in §
36-32-1, and
3. The firefighter provides services to the
public, and
4. The firefighter
receives compensation for those services, and
5. Compensation received obligates the
firefighter to perform.
(c) The chief shall be responsible to see
that required training is conducted within the time set forth in the
Code of Ala. 1975, §
36-32-7. When an employee is
voluntarily or involuntarily terminated from employment and rehired by the same
employer, such employment shall be calculated as though employment was
continuous since the time of the first employment date.
(d) The chief shall cooperate with the
Commission and Executive Director in carrying out the mandates and
responsibilities of the Code of Ala. 1975,
§§
36-32-1 through 36-32-12 and the By-Laws and Regulations of the
Commission.
(e) The chief shall be
responsible to see that his instructors are kept informed of the procedures for
certification.
(2) Personnel records and information.
(a) Notice
of Employment of new personnel.
1. The chief
shall, within ten (10) days after the date of employment of a new employee
subject to the provisions of §
36-32-7 of the Code of Ala.
1975, file with the office of the Commission AFC & PSEC
Form-04 entitled "Notice of Employment."
2. The chief shall, within thirty (30) days
after the date of employment of a new employee subject to the provisions of
§
36-32-7 of the Code of Ala. 1975, and who is not
currently certified as a firefighter in the State of Alabama, file with the
office of the Commission AFC & PSEC Form-05 entitled "Physical Statement"
certified by a licensed practicing physician or such designee as satisfactory
by the appointing authority designated as in good health and physically fit for
the performance of duties as a firefighter. Provided, however, Form-05 must be
submitted prior to beginning any certification training leading to
certification as a Fire Fighter or Volunteer Fire Fighter.
NOTE: The physical and medical examination should be conducted for the purpose of detecting or determining the presence of deficiencies or abnormalities which would reasonably be expected to limit the abilities of the applicant to satisfactorily and safely perform all the duties associated with fire fighting.
(b) Notice of termination.
1. The chief shall, within ten (10) days
after the date of termination of the employment of personnel subject to the
provisions of §
36-32-7 of the Code of Ala. 1975,
file a completed AFC & PSC Form-06 entitled "Notice of
Termination."
(c)
Submission of departmental and municipal roster.
1. The chief shall, prior to October 1st of
each year, file with the office of the Commission a true and complete roster of
all departmental and municipal personnel subject to the provisions of
§
36-32-7 of the Code of Ala. 1975,
(3) Issuance of certificates.
(a) The Commission may issue
fire services certifications to any individual who satisfactorily completes the
requirements for a specific level of competence as prescribed by the
Commission.
(b) The Commission
shall have the power to cancel, suspend, or recall any certificate upon due
cause as determined by the Commission.
(c) Reciprocity
1. The Commission shall not issue reciprocal
certificates above the level of Fire Fighter I or Certified Career Fire
Fighter, but may elect to recognize those certifications from other states as
pre-requisites for training, provided that such certifications were issued by a
ProBoard or IFSAC accredited agency.
2. In considering applications for
reciprocity the Commission may elect to give credit for training received in
other states, provided such training has been approved or accredited in the
state where the training was received.
3. The Commission may elect to prescribe as a
condition for certification:
(i) Applying the
state examination for appropriate level.
(ii) Supplementary training as required to
fulfill areas of training not covered in previous training. Such supplementary
training may be completed and documented by the fire department employing, or
seeking to employ, the candidate for reciprocity if the training is conducted
at an approved training center.
4. Notwithstanding the above provisions, the
Commission may enter into standing reciprocity compacts or agreements with
those states which by law regulate and supervise the quality of fire service
training.
5. The Commission shall
not consider an application for reciprocity of any individual who has been
separated from the fire service for a period greater than five years
immediately preceding the application for reciprocity.
6. The Commission shall only consider an
application for reciprocity when the application is made by the chief officer
of a municipal, county, state, or federal fire fighting agency within the state
of Alabama.
7. When determining
eligibility for issuance of Certified Career Fire Fighter certification for
out-of-state candidates, the Commission shall require the following:
(i) Certification as Fire Fighter I/II based
on NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, or any
successor standards, as adopted by the Commission.
(ii) Certification as Hazardous Materials:
Awareness and Operations based on the applicable NFPA standard(s) in effect at
the time that certification was issued.
(iii) Completion of a course of instruction
equivalent to Rapid Intervention Crew Member as approved by the
Commission.
(iv) Completion of 400
total hours of training to be comprised of subject matter in the courses listed
in (i) - (iii) above.
(v) The
candidate must have successfully completed emergency medical care training that
included infection control, CPR, bleeding control and shock
management.
(vi) Successful
completion of the Candidate Physical Ability Exam (CPAT) required by the
Commission for entry into a Fire Fighter I/II course.
(vii) Submission of a properly completed
physical statement on the form approved by the Commission.
8. Candidates who are granted Certified
Career Fire Fighter status are then eligible to take the examination(s) for
certification by the Commission for Firefighter Levels I and/or II, Hazardous
Materials: Awareness and Operations, and/or Rapid Intervention Crew Member.
Upon successful completion of any or all of these certification examinations,
the candidate shall then be awarded certification as indicated.
(d) Expiration of certification.
1. Fire Fighter I certifications issued by
the Commission shall expire under either of the following circumstances:
(i) One (1) year from the date an individual
leaves the fire service employment. Fire service employment is any paid
municipal, county, state, or federal occupation that requires the candidate, as
his primary duty, to actively and routinely engage in fire protection services.
Volunteer status is not sufficient to maintain Fire Fighter I
certification.
(ii) In the event
that the certified individual fails to obtain 30 hours per calendar year of
continuing training that is relevant to the performance of firefighting duties.
Documentation of such training shall be maintained by the employing agency and
made available for inspection by the Commission upon request.
2. Volunteer Fire Fighter
certifications issued by the Commission shall not expire provided that the
certified individual obtains 30 hours per calendar year of continuing training
that is relevant to the performance of firefighting duties. Documentation of
such training shall be maintained by the department with which the Volunteer
Fire Fighter is affiliated and made available for inspection by the Commission
upon request.
3. All certifications
that have as prerequisite one or more separate certifications shall expire upon
the expiration of the underlying prerequisite certification. Reinstatement of
the Firefighter I certification shall reinstate those certifications expired
under this provision.
4. Expiring
Fire Fighter I certificate shall be converted to a Certified Volunteer Fire
Fighter certificate, provided that the remaining requirements of 360-X-2-.01 are met.
5. The Commission may
defer the expiration of a certification for up to one (1) year when the
certificate holder is actively engaged in an approved postsecondary degree
program in Fire Science or closely related subject or a certificate or degree
program in Emergency Medical Services. Application for deferral must be made
upon the prescribed forms and prior to the expiration of the
certificate.
(e)
Certificates may be issued only to individuals of good moral character and
reputation as determined by the Commission, namely:
1. The individual shall not have been
convicted of a felony or convicted of a crime involving fire and/or explosion;
or
2. The individual shall not have
been found guilty of a crime of moral turpitude or have engaged in immoral
conduct which indicates an unfitness to discharge the duties of such
certificate holder, as determined by the Commission.
(f) The Commission may issue provisional
certifications to individuals enrolled in Commission-approved secondary
educational career-technical educational programs if such individuals do not
meet the age requirements for certification at the time that they complete
training and testing. These provisional certifications may convert to full
certifications upon the candidate's attainment of the required age for regular
certification.
(g) Certification(s)
issued to individuals shall be based upon the requirements for certification in
effect at the time of issuance and shall remain valid notwithstanding
subsequent changes to the certification process or requirements.
(4) Requirements for recertification upon re-entry into the fire service.
(a) Any individual who was previously issued
Fire Fighter I certification by the commission, and whose Fire Fighter I
certification has expired, may be recertified by successfully completing a
recertification course as prescribed by the commission.
(b) The requirements for recertification
shall not be construed as to preclude any employing agency from requiring any
individual to complete any training required by the employing agency.
(5) Rescinded.
(6) Rescinded.
(7) Protection of existing positions.
(a) The standards adopted by the Commission
shall not be used to render invalid any rank, qualification, or appointment
acquired prior to the adoption of a standard.
(8) Specification for approved training for certification.
(a) To be recognized for
certification by the Commission, training shall be obtained under the following
conditions:
1. All certification courses must
have prior approval by the Commission. Those agencies desiring to have a course
taught must submit AFC & PSC Form-09 entitled "Application for Course
Approval" completed with all the required information.
2. All certification courses must be taught
using the current course curriculum approved by the Commission.
3. All certification courses must be taught
by an instructor certified to the appropriate level or otherwise qualified by
his or her education and experience to a level demonstrating particular subject
matter expertise.
4. All
certification courses must be taught at a facility appropriate to promote a
learning environment and able to safely and comfortably accommodate the number
of students involved in the course. Certain certification courses have more
particular facility requirements as set out in the provisions below.
5. All certification courses must have a
sufficient number of students to facilitate the instructional process and
ensure the safety of the student involved in the course. Certain certification
courses have more particular requirements regarding the number of students as
set out in the provisions below.
6.
The instructor will request that the state certification written examination be
scheduled at the completion of the required training.
7. Attendance of certification courses taught
at locations other than the Alabama Fire College shall be restricted to members
of Alabama state, county, and municipal agencies, except where courses are
established through the AFC Industrial or DoD Programs Division or by an
articulation agreement with a postsecondary institution.
(9) Specification for approval as a fire training center.
(a) Any agency may,
upon submitting AFC & PSC Form-08 "Inventory and Application for Approval
as a Fire Training Center" to the Commission, be approved as a permanent Fire
Training Center.
(b) An approved
permanent Fire Training Center must undergo re-evaluation and approval at a
minimum of five-year intervals. Such re-evaluation may also be required at the
discretion of the Commission prior to the approval of any course as required in
Section 8 above.
1. To be approved as a
permanent Fire Training Center the agency shall have in its custody or readily
available for use the required training structures, apparatus, and equipment as
listed below:
(i) Classroom with adequate
lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, seating facilities with support for
writing, and standard classroom equipment: chalkboard, speaker's rostrum,
etc.
(ii) Pumper apparatus which
meet specifications outlined in NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire
Apparatus, within the two most recent editions.
(iii) A complete and current set of training
manuals approved by the Commission for use in fire service training.
(iv) Current types and classes of portable
fire extinguishers.
(v) A training
tower or suitable structure not less than two (2) stories in height, suitable
for use as a training structure for ladder evaluations, rescue drills, hose
advancement, and rope work.
(vi)
Forcible entry and ventilation drill facilities including a means of providing
the trainee an opportunity to practice and/or demonstrating opening a variety
of doors, windows, roofs, floors, and partitions.
(vii) Salvage equipment including covers,
coveralls, scoops, squeegees, mops, and sprinkler kits.
(viii) Ropes of assorted lengths suitable for
rescue and practicing knots.
(ix)
Self-contained breathing apparatus, NFPA compliant within the two most recent
editions, in sufficient numbers to enable each student to be completely
familiar and functionally competent in their use.
(x) A smoke and fire room or building
suitable for containing and equipped for simulating fire atmospheres and
conditions.
(xi) Facilities for
conducting live fire training and rescue in:
(I) Structural Fire Fighting
(II) Flammable Liquid Fire Fighting
(III) Automobile Fire Fighting
(xii) First-Aid supplies/equipment
required to meet DOT standards for EMT Basic.
(xiii) Audio-visual training aids and
equipment are encouraged but not required.
(10) Specification for Training involving Live Fire Evolutions.
(a) Training
or instruction of any nature involving live fire evolutions, regardless of
whether course completion results in certification, carried out by or in
cooperation with the Commission or the Alabama Fire College shall be conducted
by an instructor certified by the Commission as a Live Fire
Instructor.
(b) Training or
instruction of any nature involving live fire evolutions, regardless of whether
course completion results in certification, carried out by or in cooperation
with the Commission or the Alabama Fire College shall meet or exceed the
requirements of NFPA 1403 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, current
edition.
(11) Candidate Physical Ability Test Standard for Fire Fighter I Training.
(a) As prescribed by the Commission, job
related physical performance requirements shall be used to select candidates.
Therefore, the fire fighter candidate shall successfully complete the Fire
Service Joint Labor Management Wellness/Fitness Initiative Program Candidate
Physical Ability Test (CPAT) or other such validated physical ability
evaluation prior to entering a minimum standards course for Fire Fighter I.
Departments shall place on file with the Personnel Standards Commission the type test used and all associated validation documents prior to such testing.
(b) The
physical ability evaluation shall be valid for 1-year from the date of
completion.
This agency was previously named "Alabama Fire Fighters' Personnel Standards And Education Commission".
Author: Allan C. Rice
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 36-32-1 thru 36-32-12.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alabama may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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