2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 50 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT › 50 ILCS 740/ - Illinois Fire Protection Training Act.

(50 ILCS 740/1) (from Ch. 85, par. 531)
Sec. 1. 
		Legislative Declaration. 
		It is declared as a matter
of legislative determination that in order
to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, it
is necessary and in the public interest to provide for the
encouraging and aiding of municipalities,
counties and other local governmental agencies of this State in their
efforts to raise the level of local fire protection by upgrading and
maintaining a high level of training for fire protection personnel. It
is declared to be the responsibility of the Office of the State
Fire Marshal to encourage the
participation of local governmental units in the programs established by
the Office and to aid in the establishment of adequate training
facilities.
(Source: P.A. 80-147.)
(50 ILCS 740/2) (from Ch. 85, par. 532)
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context
requires otherwise:
a.  "Office" means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
f. "Basic training" and "basic level" shall mean the entry level fire fighter
program established by the Office.
g. "Advanced training" means the advanced level fire fighter programs established by the Office.
(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
(50 ILCS 740/3) (from Ch. 85, par. 533)
Sec. 3. 
		This Act shall be administered by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
(Source: P.A. 80-147.)
(50 ILCS 740/6) (from Ch. 85, par. 536)
Sec. 6. 
		Acceptance of contributions, etc. 
		- Deposit of funds.
The Office may accept contributions, capital grants, gifts,
donations, services or other financial assistance from any individual,
association, corporation or other organization, having a legitimate
interest in fire protection training and personnel and from the United
States of America and any of its agencies or instrumentalities,
corporate or otherwise. Such amounts of money so received shall be
deposited in the fund created by Section 10 of this Act and may be
expended, along with moneys obtained from the State of Illinois, for the
purposes specified in that Section.
(Source: P.A. 80-147.)
(50 ILCS 740/7) (from Ch. 85, par. 537)
Sec. 7. Selection and approval of schools. The Office shall select and approve the fire training
program at the University of Illinois and other schools within the State of
Illinois for the purpose of providing basic training for trainees, and
advanced or in-service training for fire protection personnel
which schools may be either publicly or privately owned and operated.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/8) (from Ch. 85, par. 538)
Sec. 8. Rules and minimum standards for schools. The Office
shall adopt rules and minimum standards for such
schools which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
a. Minimum courses of study, resources, facilities,     apparatus, equipment, reference material, established records and procedures as determined by the Office.
b. Minimum requirements for instructors.
c. Minimum basic training requirements, which a     trainee must satisfactorily complete before being eligible for permanent employment as a firefighter in the fire department of a participating local governmental agency. Those requirements shall include training in first aid (including cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and training in the administration of opioid antagonists as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (e) of Section 5-23 of the Substance Use Disorder Act.
d. Training in effective recognition of and responses     to stress, trauma, and post-traumatic stress experienced by firefighters that is consistent with Section 25 of the Illinois Mental      Health First Aid Training Act in a peer setting. (Source: P.A. 101-375, eff. 8-16-19; 101-620, eff. 12-20-19; 102-331, eff. 1-1-22; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
(50 ILCS 740/9) (from Ch. 85, par. 539)
Sec. 9. Training participation; funding. All local governmental agencies
and individuals may elect to participate
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,
a local governmental agency shall require by ordinance that a trainee complete
a basic level 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.
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
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.
Failure of any trainee to complete the basic training and
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 calendar year in which his probationary period ends. The
individual may later become certified without reimbursement.
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.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/10) (from Ch. 85, par. 540)
Sec. 10. Training expenses; reimbursement. The Office shall reimburse the local
governmental agencies or individuals participating in the training
program in an amount equaling one-half of the total sum paid by
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 from funds appropriated for this purpose. Funds appropriated under this Section shall be used for reimbursement for costs incurred from January 1 through December 31 of the prior calendar year. 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 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
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
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.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/11) (from Ch. 85, par. 541)
Sec. 11. Rules and regulations. The Office may make, amend, and rescind
those rules and regulations
as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Office may
make rules and regulations establishing the fees to be paid for the administration
of examinations, approval of schools, certification of fire
fighters, and other training programs provided by the Office.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/12) (from Ch. 85, par. 542)
Sec. 12. Advanced training programs. The Office, in its discretion, may
adopt rules and minimum
standards for advanced training programs for fire protection
personnel in addition to the basic training programs. The training for
 fire protection personnel may be given in any schools approved 
by the Office. Such training, if offered, may be discontinued by the
school upon either a temporary or permanent basis. Local governmental
agencies which have elected to participate in the basic training
program may elect to participate in the advanced training for 
fire protection personnel, but non-participation in the advanced program
shall not in any way affect the right of governmental agencies to
participate in the basic training program. The failure of any permanent fire
protection employee to successfully complete any course herein
authorized shall not affect his or her status as a member of the fire
department of any local governmental agency.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/12.5)
Sec. 12.5. In-service training; opioid antagonists. The Office shall distribute an in-service training program for fire fighters in the administration of opioid antagonists as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (e) of Section 5-23 of the Substance Use Disorder Act that is developed by the Department of Human Services in accordance with that Section.  As used in this Section 12.5, the term "fire fighters" includes full-time or part-time fire fighters, but does not include auxiliary, reserve, or volunteer firefighters.
(Source: P.A. 99-480, eff. 9-9-15; 100-759, eff. 1-1-19.)
(50 ILCS 740/12.6)
Sec. 12.6. History of the fire service.  The Office shall maintain on its website a link to an educational program or literature for fire fighters in the history of the fire service labor  movement. The training shall be completed by each fire fighter. Entities responsible for the training of fire fighters may request that such educational program be presented in person by a statewide organization representing professional union fire fighters in this State. In this Section, "fire fighter" means a fire fighter hired under Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code, under Section 10-1-7.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, under Section 16.06b of the Fire Protection District Act, or fire fighters hired by the Chicago Fire Department.
(Source: P.A. 101-252, eff. 8-9-19; 102-115, eff. 1-1-22.)
(50 ILCS 740/13) (from Ch. 85, par. 543)
Sec. 13. Additional powers and duties. In addition to
the other powers and duties given to the Office by this Act, the Office:
(1) may employ a Manager of Personnel Standards and     Education and other necessary clerical and technical personnel;
(2) may make such reports and recommendations to the     Governor and the General Assembly in regard to fire protection personnel, standards, education, and related topics as it deems proper;
(3) shall report to the Governor and the General     Assembly no later than March 1 of each year the affairs and activities of the Office for the preceding year.
The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall be satisfied
by filing copies of the report as required
by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and filing such additional copies
with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly
as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.
(Source: P.A. 100-600, eff. 1-1-19; 100-1148, eff. 12-10-18.)
(50 ILCS 740/15) (from Ch. 85, par. 545)
Sec. 15. 
		
		Short
title.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Illinois Fire
Protection Training Act".
(Source: P.A. 77-1665.)