Report Title:

Fire Academy; Big Island

Description:

Establishes a statewide fire academy to be located on the Big Island.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2136

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 353C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Part . Public safety and police training academy

§353C- Statewide firefighter training academy established. Within the department of public safety there is hereby created and established a statewide firefighter training academy.

The director shall have supervision of the statewide firefighter training academy and shall establish standards for admission and a course of training. The director shall report to the governor and legislature a plan for a statewide firefighter training academy not later than December 31, 2004. The director shall adopt all necessary rules under chapter 91 relative to the admission, education, physical standards, and personal character of the trainees and such other rules as are not inconsistent with law.

Applicants to the statewide firefighter training academy shall pay an application fee in the amount of $50; provided, however, that the director may waive the application fee if payment thereof would be a hardship to the applicant.

Trainees shall pay to the department an amount equal to the actual cost of meals consumed at the statewide firefighter training academy and the actual cost of any training uniforms that remain the personal property of the trainees.

All fees and payments received by the department pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the general fund.

§353C- Location of training academy. The statewide firefighter training academy shall be maintained by the State and located on the island of Hawaii at a site to be determined after consultation with the mayor of Hawaii county.

§353C- Supervision of school. The director shall have supervision of the statewide firefighter training academy and shall establish a course of training and adopt all necessary rules relative to the education, physical standards, and personal character of the candidates and trainees and such other rules as are not inconsistent with law.

§353C- Persons admissible to training academy. No person shall be admitted as a candidate to the statewide firefighter training academy unless the person is a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State and is at least eighteen years old; provided that no person shall be admitted who has not been certified by a physician as being physically and mentally sound on an examination made within one month prior to the acceptance of the person's candidacy.

§353C- Sponsorship of candidates by counties. Candidates meeting the physical, mental, and educational requirements of this part shall be admitted as firefighter training candidates only upon the request of the chief of the fire department of the county of which the prospective candidate is a resident, and every such application by the chief of the fire department shall be accompanied by a statement that the candidate has prospects, within the reasonable future, of a permanent appointment to the police force of the county sponsoring the candidate.

§353C- Certificate of completion of training course. Upon the satisfactory completion of the prescribed course of training, the director shall issue to each candidate a certification of the candidate's qualifications for appointment.

§353C- Expenses of academy; compensation of candidates. No tuition fee or any other charge shall be assessed against any county for the training of any candidate and the expense of that training shall be borne by the State. The legislature shall annually appropriate such sum or sums as may be necessary for the proper maintenance of the statewide firefighter training academy."

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, for the establishment of a statewide firefighter training academy.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of public safety for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.

INTRODUCED BY:

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