Bill Text: NJ S2776 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes certain marine firefighting training course requirements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-15 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S2776 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2776-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes certain marine firefighting training course requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning firefighter training and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs shall adopt Coast Guard approved basic, and advanced, in-service marine firefighting training courses for land-based firefighters. The division shall require each firefighter, volunteer or paid, who is engaged in fire suppression, firefighting, or fire rescue to complete the training courses established in this subsection.
b. Recruit firefighter training programs shall include the basic marine firefighting training course established in subsection a. of this section. A firefighter who has completed a recruit firefighter training program prior to the effective date of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be required to complete the basic marine firefighting training course established in subsection a. of this section within one year of the effective date of this act. A firefighter shall be required to complete:
(1) the advanced marine firefighting training course established in subsection a. of this section within two years of completing the basic marine firefighting course; and
(2) the in-service training established in subsection a. of this section on a biennial basis thereafter.
c. The division shall adopt a Coast Guard approved training course for qualification as an instructor of marine firefighting for land-based firefighters. A firefighter who has completed the basic and advanced training courses and is in compliance with the in-service training requirement established in subsection a. of this section, or otherwise has been certified by the division, shall be eligible for marine firefighting instruction training. Upon completion of the training established pursuant to this subsection or other certification by the division, a firefighter shall be qualified to provide the basic, advanced, and in-service marine firefighting training courses established in subsection a. of this section and the instruction training course established pursuant to this subsection.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs to adopt Coast Guard approved basic, advanced, and in-service marine firefighting training courses for land-based firefighters. Under the bill, all firefighters in the State, paid and volunteer, would be required to complete the basic and advanced training courses, and in-service training courses.
The bill provides that recruit firefighter training programs would be required to include the basic marine firefighting training course. Under the bill, a firefighter who completed a recruit firefighting training program prior to the bill's effective date would be required to complete the basic marine firefighting training course within one year. The bill provides that all firefighters would be required to complete the advanced marine firefighting training course within two years of completing the basic marine firefighting training course. Thereafter, firefighters would be required to complete in-service training every two years.
Additionally, the bill requires the division to adopt a Coast Guard approved training course for qualification as an instructor of marine firefighting for land-based firefighters. A firefighter who has completed the basic and advanced training courses and is in compliance with the in-service training requirement established in the bill, or who otherwise has been certified by the division, would be eligible for marine firefighting instruction training. Upon completion of the training or other certification by the division, the bill provides that a firefighter would be qualified to provide the basic, advanced, in-service, and instruction training courses.
