Texas Administrative Code › Title 37 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS › Part 13 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE PROTECTION › Chapter 449 - HEAD OF A FIRE DEPARTMENT › Subchapter B - MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR HEAD OF A PREVENTION ONLY FIRE DEPARTMENT › Section 449.201 - Minimum Standards for the Head of a Prevention Only Fire Department

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) An individual who becomes employed and is
				  appointed as the head of a prevention only fire department must be certified by
				  the commission as Head of a Prevention Only Fire Department, within one year of
				  appointment. The requirements in this subchapter also apply to an individual
				  who is appointed on an interim basis to head of a prevention only fire
				  department.
(b) Prior to being
				  appointed as the head of a prevention only fire department, an individual must:
(1) hold a Texas Commission on Fire
				  Protection certification as a fire inspector, fire investigator, or arson
				  investigator. The individual must have five years of experience in a full-time
				  fire prevention position or ten years in a part-time fire prevention position
				  at the time of appointment, or attain the required years of experience within
				  one year of the appointment; or
(2)
				  possess valid documentation of accreditation from the International Fire
				  Service Accreditation Congress that is deemed equivalent to the commission's
				  approved basic arson investigator, fire investigator, or fire inspector
				  curriculum and provide documentation in the form of a sworn non-self-serving
				  affidavit of five years of experience in a full-time fire prevention position
				  in a jurisdiction other than Texas; or
(3) provide documentation in the form of a
				  sworn non-self-serving affidavit of ten years of experience as an employee of a
				  local governmental entity in a full-time fire inspector, fire investigator, or
				  arson investigator position in a jurisdiction other than Texas; or
(4) provide documentation in the form of a
				  sworn non-self-serving affidavit of ten years of experience as a certified fire
				  investigator, fire inspector, or arson investigator as a part-time fire
				  prevention employee; or
(5) provide
				  documentation in the form of a sworn non-self-serving affidavit of ten years of
				  fire prevention experience as an active volunteer fire inspector, fire
				  investigator, or arson investigator; or
(6) document a combined total of five years
				  of experience using:
(A) full-time experience
				  while holding commission certification as a fire inspector, fire investigator,
				  or arson investigator; and
(B)
				  provide documentation in the form of a sworn non-self-serving affidavit of
				  experience as an employee of a local governmental entity in a full-time fire
				  inspector, fire investigator, or arson investigator position in a jurisdiction
				  other than Texas as referenced in paragraph (3) of this subsection, with two
				  years of affidavit time counted as one year of experience for purposes of this
				  qualification; or
(C) provide
				  documentation in the form of a sworn non-self-serving affidavit of experience
				  as an active volunteer fire inspector, fire investigator, or arson investigator
				  in one or more volunteer fire departments, with two years of affidavit time
				  counted as one year of experience for purposes of this qualification; or
(7) document a combined
				  total of five years of experience using:
(A)
				  full-time experience while holding commission certification as a fire
				  inspector, fire investigator, or arson investigator; and
(B) documentation of accreditation from the
				  International Fire Service Accreditation Congress that is deemed equivalent to
				  the commission's approved basic fire investigator or fire inspector curriculum
				  while appointed to a full-time fire prevention position in a jurisdiction other
				  than Texas. Documentation of experience will be in the form of a sworn
				  non-self-serving affidavit; or
(8) document a combined total of five years
				  of experience using:
(A) documentation of
				  accreditation from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress that
				  is deemed equivalent to the commission's approved basic fire investigator or
				  fire inspector curriculum while appointed to a full-time fire prevention
				  position in a jurisdiction other than Texas, with documentation of experience
				  being in the form of a non-self-serving affidavit; and
(B) provide documentation in the form of a
				  sworn non-self-serving affidavit of experience as an employee of a local
				  governmental entity in a full-time fire inspector, fire investigator, or arson
				  investigator position in a jurisdiction other than Texas as referenced in
				  paragraph (3) of this subsection, with two years of affidavit time counted as
				  one year of experience for purposes of this qualification; or
(C) provide documentation in the form of a
				  sworn non-self-serving affidavit of experience as an active volunteer fire
				  inspector, fire investigator, or arson investigator in one or more volunteer
				  fire departments, with two years of affidavit time counted as one year of
				  experience for purposes of this qualification; or
(9) document a combined total of ten years of
				  experience using:
(A) documentation in the
				  form of a sworn non-self-serving affidavit of experience as an employee of a
				  local governmental entity in a full-time fire inspector, fire investigator, or
				  arson investigator position in a jurisdiction other than Texas as referenced in
				  paragraph (3) of this subsection; and
(B) documentation in the form of a sworn
				  non-self-serving affidavit of experience as an active volunteer fire inspector,
				  fire investigator, or arson investigator in one or more volunteer fire
				  departments.