Senate Bill S6242

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6242A

 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
department, fire district or fire protection district that employs one
or more paid firefighters

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To require all fire chiefs in any fire department with one 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 county, city,
except cities with a population of one village or fire district which
employs five or fewer appointments made by any million or more, town,
fire fighters.

Section 2. Section 58-a of the civil service law, is subdivision 7 to
read as follows:amended by adding a new

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; and

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
department, fire district, or fire protection district that employs
one 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
understanding 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
established on or after such date.

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6242B

SPONSOR: AKSHAR
 
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.