Section 291.50  Grant Applications Review Committee

a)         The State Fire Marshal shall appoint a Grant Review Committee to determine which applicants will receive grants and the amount of the grant.  If, for any reason, a successful applicant is unable to fulfill the terms of the grant or withdraws the request after it has been approved, the application's priority shall be used to determine which of the unsuccessful applicants will be next to be offered a grant in place of the withdrawing department.

b)         The Committee shall consist of the following seven members:

1)         The State Fire Marshal, or his or her designee, as Chair;

2)         Three Fire Chiefs (one each from a volunteer department, a combination department and a career/municipal department);

3)         One representative from the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois;

4)         One member who is a volunteer firefighter; and

5)         One member from the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts.

c)         Members shall serve without salary, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses by the Office from appropriations for that purpose.

d)         All members shall have one vote, except that the State Fire Marshal shall only vote to break a tie.

e)         Members shall serve a term of four years.

f)         Upon the expiration of a member's term, the State Fire Marshal may reappoint that member or appoint a successor who is a representative of the same interests with which his or her predecessor was identified.

g)         Replacement of a Member

1)         The State Fire Marshal may, at any time, remove any of the respective appointees for inefficiency or neglect of duty in office. 

2)         All members shall serve ex officio. A member shall continue to serve only as long as he or she holds the position that made that individual eligible to serve under the criteria prescribed by subsection (b).

3)         In the instances described in subsections (g)(1) and (2), or upon the death or incapacity of a member, the State Fire Marshal shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by appointing a member who is a representative of the same interests with which his or her predecessor was identified.

h)         Meetings of the Committee shall occur as often as deemed necessary by the Chair, at a date, time and place to be fixed by the Committee (or by the Chair, should he or she call for the meeting) and at such additional times as the Committee deems necessary to consider any business as properly may come before it.

i)          A quorum shall be a majority of the appointed positions that have been filled by appointment.  Unfilled positions shall not be counted.

j)          No Committee member affiliated with a fire department that has a pending application for a loan under this program shall participate in the review of that fire department's application.

k)         Members of the Committee are required to participate in annual ethics training. Upon completion of the ethics training program, members of the Committee must certify that they have completed the training program.

l)          Members of the Committee are required to execute a confidentiality statement agreeing not to disclose any information gained during the course of their service on the Committee.

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 10500, effective August 15, 2017)