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| Public Act 097-0782 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning local government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Fire Protection Training Act is | ||||
amended by changing Sections 2, 9, and 10 as follows:
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(50 ILCS 740/2) (from Ch. 85, par. 532)
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Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the | ||||
context
requires otherwise:
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a. Office means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
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b. "Local governmental agency" means any local | ||||
governmental unit or
municipal corporation in this State. It | ||||
does not include the State of
Illinois or any office, officer, | ||||
department, division, bureau, board,
commission, or agency of | ||||
the State except: (i) a State controlled university,
college, | ||||
or public community college, or (ii) the Office of the State | ||||
Fire Marshal.
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c. "School" means any school located within the State of | ||||
Illinois
whether privately or publicly owned which offers a | ||||
course in fire
protection training or related subjects and | ||||
which has been approved by
the Office.
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d. "Trainee" means a recruit fire fighter required to | ||||
complete
initial minimum basic training requirements at an | ||||
approved school to be
eligible for permanent employment as a | ||||
fire fighter.
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e. "Fire protection personnel" and "fire fighter" means any | ||
person
engaged in fire administration, fire prevention, fire | ||
suppression, fire
education and arson investigation, including | ||
any permanently employed,
trainee or volunteer fire fighter, | ||
whether or not such person, trainee
or volunteer is compensated | ||
for all or any fraction of his time.
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f. "Basic training" and "basic level" shall mean the Basic | ||
Operations Firefighter
program as promulgated by the rules and | ||
regulations of the Office.
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(Source: P.A. 96-974, eff. 7-2-10.)
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(50 ILCS 740/9) (from Ch. 85, par. 539)
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Sec. 9. Training participation; funding. All local | ||
governmental agencies
and individuals may elect to participate
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in the training programs under this Act, subject to the rules | ||
and regulations
of the Office. The participation may be for | ||
certification
only, or for
certification and reimbursement for | ||
training expenses as further provided
in this Act. To be | ||
eligible to receive reimbursement for training of
individuals,
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a local governmental agency shall require by ordinance that a | ||
trainee complete
a basic course approved by the Office, and | ||
pass the State
test for certification at the basic level within | ||
the probationary period
as established by the local | ||
governmental agency. A certified copy of the
ordinance must be | ||
on file with the Office.
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Individuals who have retired from active fire service | ||
duties and are officially affiliated with fire service | ||
training, mutual aid, incident command, fire ground | ||
operations, or staff support for public fire service | ||
organizations shall not be prohibited from receiving training | ||
certification from the Office on the ground that they are not | ||
employed or otherwise engaged by an organized Illinois fire | ||
department if they otherwise meet the minimum certification | ||
standards set by the Office. | ||
Employees of the Office shall not be prohibited from | ||
receiving training certifications from the Office on the | ||
grounds that they are not employed or otherwise engaged by an | ||
organized Illinois fire department if they otherwise meet the | ||
minimum certification standards set by the Office and the | ||
certifications are directly related to their job-related | ||
duties, as determined by the Office. | ||
The Office may by rule provide for reimbursement funding | ||
for trainees who
are volunteers or paid on call fire protection | ||
personnel beyond their
probationary
period, but not to exceed 3 | ||
years from the date of initial employment.
The Office may | ||
reimburse for basic or advanced training of individuals who
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were permanently employed fire protection personnel prior to | ||
the date of
the ordinance. Individuals may receive | ||
reimbursement if employed
by a unit
of local government that | ||
participates for reimbursement funding
and the
individual is | ||
otherwise eligible.
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Failure of any trainee to complete the basic training and
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certification
within the required period will render that | ||
individual and local governmental
agency ineligible for | ||
reimbursement funding for basic training for that
individual in | ||
the fiscal year in which his probationary period ends. The
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individual may later become certified without reimbursement.
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Any participating local governmental agency may elect to | ||
withdraw from
the training program by repealing the original | ||
ordinance, and a certified
copy
of the ordinance must be filed | ||
with the Office.
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(Source: P.A. 96-215, eff. 8-10-09.)
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(50 ILCS 740/10) (from Ch. 85, par. 540)
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Sec. 10. Training expenses; reimbursement. The Office, not | ||
later than
May 30th of each year,
from funds appropriated for | ||
this purpose, shall reimburse the local
governmental agencies | ||
or individuals participating in the training
program in an | ||
amount equaling equalling one-half of the total sum paid by
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them during
the period established by the Office for tuition
at | ||
training schools, salary of
trainees while in school, necessary | ||
travel expenses, and room and board
for each trainee. In | ||
addition to reimbursement provided herein by the
Office to the | ||
local governmental agencies for participation by trainees,
the | ||
Office in each year shall reimburse the local governmental | ||
agencies
participating in the training program for permanent | ||
fire protection
personnel in the same manner as trainees for | ||
each training program.
No more than 50% of the reimbursements | ||
distributed to local governmental
agencies in any fiscal year | ||
shall be distributed to local governmental
agencies of more | ||
than 500,000 persons. If at the time of the annual
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reimbursement to local governmental agencies participating in | ||
the
training program there is an insufficient appropriation to | ||
make
reimbursement in full, the appropriation shall be | ||
apportioned among the
participating local governmental | ||
agencies. No local governmental agency
which shall alter or | ||
change in any manner any of the training programs
as | ||
promulgated under this Act or fail to comply with rules and
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regulations promulgated under this Act shall be entitled to | ||
receive any
matching funds under this Act. Submitting false | ||
information to the
Office is a Class B misdemeanor.
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(Source: P.A. 90-20, eff. 6-20-97.)
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