Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 205-1-2-.02 - Minimum Requirements for Fire Departments
(1) Recognizing that fire departments
operating in the State of Georgia cannot function effectively and efficiently
as full-time fire departments without meeting or exceeding the minimum
requirements established by Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Title 25,
Chapter 3 - Article 2. It is the intent of these Rules & Regulations to
establish the minimum requirements for all fire departments operating in this
state in order to receive a Certificate of Compliance.
(a) Legally organized fire departments shall
be established as an entity of the State of Georgia or a political sub-division
of the State of Georgia (a city, county, board, etc.).
(b) Legally organized fire departments may
exist as a private corporation incorporated either for-profit or not-for-profit
through the State of Georgia Secretary of State and have a written contract to
provide fire and emergency services with one or more local governments in
Georgia.
(c) Every department in
the State of Georgia must have a Chief or like title that is Qualified
Volunteer Suppression for Volunteer Departments, or a State Certified
Firefighter for Combination and Career Departments.
(2) No fire department shall exercise the
general and emergency powers set forth in O.C.G.A. §
25-3-1 and §
25-3-2 without obtaining a
Certificate of Compliance issued from the Georgia Firefighters Standards and
Training Council.
(3) Fire
departments operating in the State of Georgia shall be established to provide
fire and other emergency and nonemergency services in accordance with the
applicable state laws, local government ordinances, and the minimum standards
specified by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council. These fire
departments shall:
(a) Be capable of
providing fire protection 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Understanding the
nature of the fire service in the State of Georgia, this may be accomplished
through the use of mutual-aid or automatic-aid agreements with neighboring fire
departments.
(b) Be responsible for
a defined area of operations depicted on a map located at the responding fire
station(s). This area of operations as depicted on the map shall have been
approved and designated by the governing authority of the applicable county,
municipality, or other political subdivision in the case of any county,
municipal, or private corporation fire department.
(c) Be Staffed with a minimum number of
trained Volunteer Suppression or State Certified Firefighters who have
successfully completed basic firefighter training as specified by the Council.
1. Minimum Staffing shall be four (4)
Volunteer Suppression or State Certified Firefighters per station. An average
of six (6) members per station, of which 2 of the 6 may be Volunteer Support
Firefighters, is recommended. The minimum number of firefighters will be
calculated as an aggregate total for the entire department.
2. Each firefighter must be at least 18 years
of age.
3. Each firefighter must be
duly appointed by a legally organized and compliant fire department.
(4) A legally organized
fire department shall provide and maintain coverage in accordance with Code
section 25-3-23(b). Upon
cancellation or reinstatement of any policy for the coverage of each member of
the fire department, the Executive Director of the Georgia Firefighter
Standards and Training Council shall be notified immediately.
(a) ACCG members shall provide proof of
insurance coverage for all personnel.
(b) GMA members shall provide proof of
insurance coverage for all personnel.
(c) Departments using other insurance
carriers or means of being self-insured shall provide a copy of the insurance
policy, a council/commission resolution or other proof of coverage.
(5) The GFSTC Compliance Package
must be submitted to GFSTC. In addition to the completed Compliance
Application, the department shall include the following documentation:
(a) A defined area of operation for each
station shall be depicted on a map not less than 8.5 x 11 shall be filed with
the application for a Certificate of Compliance.
(b) A letter from the governing authority of
the applicable county, municipality or other political subdivision in the case
of any county, municipal or private corporation fire department approving the
designated area of authority.
(c)
An affidavit from the governing authority of the applicable county,
municipality, or other political subdivision in the case of any county,
municipal or volunteer fire department indicating the operation of the
department's intent and purpose of carrying out the duties, functions, powers,
and responsibilities normally associated with the operation of a fire
department and the ability to provide fire protection for the area of operation
filed with the application for Certificate of Compliance 24 hours a day, 365
days per year.
(d) A copy of the
insurance certificate or proof otherwise of coverage that complies with Code
Section 25-3-23(b). Upon
cancellation or reinstatement of any policy for the insurance coverage of each
member of the fire department, the executive director of the Georgia
Firefighter Standards and Training Council shall be notified immediately but no
less than two business days.
(6) Before a fire department may begin legal
operations, an on-site review must be conducted by GFSTC Staff to confirm the
information contained in the Compliance Package.
(7) Documentation from the Safety Fire
Division of the Office of the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner indicating
that the fire department is, and remains, in compliance with the reporting
requirements for fires by state law as specified in O.C.G.A. §
25-2-32(b) and
provided for by §
25-3-24.
(8) The Executive Director of the Georgia
Firefighter Standards and Training Council shall issue a Certificate of
Compliance according to Rules & Regulations and Policy & Procedures of
the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council.
Notes
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