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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6838
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A DIVISION OF FIRE SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY
SERVICES AND PUBLIC PROTECTION, REVISING THE POWERS
AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION ON FIRE PREVENTION AND
CONTROL AND REQUIRING A STUDY OF THE FIRE SERVICE IN
THE STATE.
SUMMARY
This bill eliminates the Office of State Fire Administration and creates
a Division of Fire Services Administration within the Department of
Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) as a successor
agency. It requires the DESPP commissioner to appoint a deputy
commissioner to lead the division, transfers the State Fire
Administrator’s current duties to the deputy commissioner, and
expands these duties.
The bill also appropriates $250,000 for DESPP to contract for a study
of the issues facing the state’s fire service and develop a strategic master
plan to address them.
Additionally, the bill makes changes to the Commission on Fire
Prevention and Control’s powers and duties, such as requiring it to
distribute funding for fire school operations.
The bill also makes conforming and technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023, except the DESPP fire service
study and related appropriation are effective July 1, 2023.
§§ 1 & 3-9 — DIVISION OF FIRE SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Under the bill, the DESPP commissioner must serve as the Division
of Fire Services Administration’s administrative head, but delegate his
jurisdiction of the division to a deputy commissioner. The deputy 2023HB-06838-R000367-BA.docx
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commissioner must have professional training and knowledge with at
least five years of managerial or strategic planning experience relating
to the fire services.
The bill requires that the functions, powers, duties, and personnel of
the Office of State Fire Administrator be transferred to the division.
Additionally, any order or regulation of the office that is in force on the
effective date of the bill must continue in force and effect as an order or
regulation of the division until it is amended, repealed, or superseded.
The bill makes conforming changes to carry out this transfer, including
requiring the division, rather than the Office of State Fire
Administration, to administer the state’s responsibilities under federal
laws relevant to fire services and to develop a master plan for fire
prevention and control.
The bill also transfers the State Fire Administrator’s current duties to
the deputy commissioner. Whereas current law requires the State Fire
Administrator to coordinate the training and education of fire service
personnel at state institutions, facilities, and properties, the bill instead
requires the deputy commissioner to do the following:
1. advise and assist the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control
on legislative proposals;
2. encourage the expansion and improvement of existing local
firefighter training facilities in cooperation with the commission;
3. administer the state fire school and certification examinations,
testing procedures, and reciprocity recognition for credentials in
the fire service disciplines; and
4. make recommendations to the commission on the operational
funding of the state fire school and regional fire schools.
The bill also requires the deputy commissioner to prepare,
recommend, and give reports on revisions, consolidations, or
compilations of statutes relating to firefighter training and fire
prevention and control. (The bill does not specify to whom these 2023HB-06838-R000367-BA.docx
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recommendations and reports must be sent.)
§§ 2 & 3 — COMMISSION ON FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTRO L
Under current law, the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control
may set standards for a fire service training and education program on
a voluntary basis. The bill eliminates this discretion and requires it to do
so.
The bill further requires the commission do the following:
1. distribute any state, federal, or private funds or contributions for
the daily operation of the state fire school and regional fire
schools;
2. coordinate activities with the Division of State Fire Services
Administration’s deputy commissioner;
3. annually submit proposals for legislation to promote firefighter
training to the DESPP commissioner and give testimony to the
General Assembly; and
4. add recommendations on the funding needed for operating,
maintaining, and making capital improvements to the state fire
school and regional fire schools as part of the existing annual
reporting it must submit to the governor, legislature, and DESPP
commissioner.
The bill requires the commission to submit this annual report to the
Public Safety and Security Committee, rather than the Joint Committee
on Legislative Management as current law requires.
The bill eliminates the commission’s authority to appoint clerical and
other assistants it deems necessary to carry out functions it devised for
the Office of State Fire Administration.
§§ 10 & 11 — FIRE SERVICE ISSUES STUDY
The bill requires the DESPP commissioner to choose, by October 1,
2023, a contractor to study issues facing the state’s fire service, develop
a strategic master plan to address them, and prepare the state for the 2023HB-06838-R000367-BA.docx
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future. By January 1, 2025, the commissioner must report the study’s
results to the governor and the Public Safety and Security Committee.
The bill appropriates $250,000 to DESPP from the General Fund for
FY 24 to fund the study.
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
sHB 6841, § 3, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security
Committee, among other things, expands the State Fire Administrator’s
duties to include developing facilities across the state where people can
train for and take the firefighter physical ability test.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Safety and Security Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 25 Nay 0 (03/16/2023)