Texas Administrative Code › Title 37 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS › Part 13 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE PROTECTION › Chapter 427 - TRAINING FACILITY CERTIFICATION › Subchapter A - ON-SITE CERTIFIED TRAINING PROVIDER › Section 427.1 - Minimum Standards for Certified Training Facilities for Fire Protection Personnel

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) An on-site
				  training facility must be certified by the commission in each discipline for
				  which the facility provides training for fire protection personnel
				  certification. An on-site training facility is where instructors and students
				  are in immediate proximity and where content is instructed primarily in
				  classrooms, at demonstration projects, in fire simulation structures, on fire
				  apparatus, or at training sites in the field under direct supervision of the
				  training facility instructors.
(b)
				  A certified on-site training facility may be approved to instruct in any one or
				  all of the disciplines for which fire protection personnel certification is
				  available.
(c) Minimum requirements
				  for certification as a certified on-site training facility shall include
				  facilities, apparatus, equipment, reference materials, standard operating
				  procedures, instructors, and records to support a quality education and
				  training program. The resources must provide for classroom instruction,
				  demonstrations, and practical exercises for the trainees to develop the
				  knowledge and skills required for fire protection personnel
				  certification.
(d) The on-site
				  facilities and training shall be performance oriented, when required. Practical
				  performance training with maximum participation by trainees shall be an
				  integral part of the training program. The evaluation process will emphasize
				  performance testing to determine if the trainee has acquired the knowledge and
				  skills to achieve the required level of competency required by the respective
				  training program.
(e) It must be
				  clearly understood that the minimum standard for training facilities is
				  applicable only as the title implies and does not address the additional
				  training facility resources which are required for the continuing in-service
				  training essential to the development and maintenance of a well-coordinated and
				  effective fire service organization.
(f) An organization must submit an
				  application for certification as an on-site training facility to the
				  commission. The application will include descriptions, addresses of physical
				  facilities and an inventory of apparatus, equipment, and reference material to
				  be utilized in conducting the training. It is not required that the equipment
				  be owned by, permanently assigned to, nor kept at a training facility, but must
				  be readily available for instructional purposes. In such a case, the training
				  facility must submit a letter of commitment from the provider of the resources
				  with the original training facility certification application authorizing the
				  use of resources not controlled by the training facility. A copy of the letters
				  of commitment must be maintained on-site and available for review. Photographs
				  of resources annotated to reflect their identity may be required as part of the
				  application. When submitting training approvals, the facility shall certify
				  that the resources are provided in accordance with this chapter.
(g) The chief training officer will:
(1) attest to the fact that the training
				  meets the competencies in the applicable commission curriculum and/or NFPA
				  Standards; and
(2) submit a testing
				  schedule for all required academy skills.