FLORIDA FIRE MARSHALS AND INSPECTORS ASSOCIATION

2010 LEGISLATIVE POSITION PAPER

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Fire Service Training, Educations, Professional Standards and Certification

10.1 Support legislation or rule that would establish a Fire Code Administrator certification program administered by the Florida State Fire Marshals’ Office.

10.2   Support legislation or rule allowing continuing education/re-certification reciprocity between the Florida State Fire Marshals’ Office and the Florida Building Code Administrator’s and Inspector’s Board.

10.3   Monitor any proposal to change the required training hours for initial and re-certification of Fire Safety Inspectors.

10.4   Oppose the establishment of a mandatory certification program for fire investigators or public educators.

10.5   Support legislation that will provide for criminal prosecution of individuals interfering with a fire inspector in the line of duty.

10.6   Support rule making authorizing fire service inspector instructors to be given CEU recertification credit for teaching fire inspector CEU classes based on a scale as determined by the SFMO Bureau of Fire Standards and Training.

10.7   Support rule making authority authorizing fire inspectors to be given continuing education credit for attending fire investigator training based on a scale as determined by the SFMO.

10.8   Support legislation or rule making that would allow a fire safety inspector to maintain their firefighter certification as long as their fire inspector certification is active.

10.9   Support professional minimum qualifications for the Director and Deputy Director positions in the SFMO.

Fire Prevention and Life Safety Codes

 20.1      Oppose legislation or rule making that would weaken the one and two family dwelling fire sprinkler requirements contained in the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code being adopted as part of the 2010 Florida Building Code.

20.2      Oppose legislation or rule making that would reduce local home rule fire code authority to implement innovative solutions to fire prevention and life safety concern.

20.3      Support legislation that would require fire sprinkler systems in all new construction.

20.4      Support legislation that would encourage jurisdictions to provide local financial incentives for the installation of fire sprinkler systems.

20.5      Support standardization of Florida Statute 633.022 in accordance with the adopted Florida Fire Prevention Code.

20.6      Oppose legislation or rule making that would reduce the existing life safety requirements in any historical structure.

20.7      Support legislation that would eliminate the utilization of “standby water fee” charges for fire sprinkler systems in commercial or multi-family properties.

20.8      Oppose legislation that would repeal the prohibition on stand-by water fees, additional ERU’s and other utility charges for one and two family fire sprinkler protection contained in 633.025(g).

20.9      Oppose legislation or rule making that would reduce the minimum standards for the installation of residential smoke alarms.

20.10 Oppose legislation that would privatize fire code enforcement functions without maintaining local approval and oversight.

20.11 Oppose legislation that would remove the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1 Life Safety Code as the adopted minimum fire code for the State of Florida.

20.12 Oppose legislation that would remove the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 101 Life Safety Code as the adopted minimum life safety code for the State of Florida.

20.13 Oppose legislation that would expand the Florida Building Commission’s authority into fire code adoption and enforcement issues.

20.14 Support legislation and rule making that would apply the Florida Fire Prevention Code to agricultural processing facilities that are currently exempt from fire safety oversight.

20.15 Oppose legislation or rule that would weaken the High-Rise fire sprinkler retrofit requirements within the Florida Fire Prevention Code.

20.16 Oppose legislation or rule that would allow Architects or Engineers authority to conduct fire inspections and/or plans review without being certified as a State Fire Safety Inspector.

20.17 Support legislation that would designate one or more of the code enforcement representatives on the Florida Building Commission as a fire official recommended by the fire service to the Governor for appointment.

20.18 Support legislation that would provide a dedicated funding source to the State Fire Marshals’ Office for Fire Code promulgation, interpretation and education.  (This would be similar to the “surcharge” language in Florida Statute 553.721.)

20.19 Support legislation that would update the referenced fire safety standards in Florida Statute 509 and other specialty statutes to reference the current edition of the Florida Fire Prevention Code.

 20.20 Oppose legislation that would eliminate the State Fire Marshals’ Office and the Florida Building Commission the ability to issue “Tentative Interim Amendments” to the Florida Building Code in order to clarify conflicts and unintended consequences of code adoption.

20.21 Support legislation banning the sale of novelty lighters that appeal to children.

20.22 Support legislation requiring new school construction plan review and inspections by a fire inspector certified pursuant to Florida Statutes 633.

Fire Investigation

30.1    Oppose legislation that would place an unfunded mandate on local government by limiting the assistance that the Division of State Fire Marshals’ Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigation can provide local government with fire investigations.

Wildland/Urban Interface

40.1     Support the continued use and adoption of NFPA 1144, Standard for Wild Fire Prevention and Control, as the wildfire prevention and control standard for the State of Florida.

40.2     Support legislation adding a representative from the Division of Forestry to the Florida Fire Code Advisory Council.

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