[Comment: For dates and availability of material incorporated
by reference in this rule see rule
4765-25-02 of the Administrative
Code.]
As used in this chapter and Chapters 4765-20 to 4765-24 of the
Administrative Code:
(A) "Affiliation"
means the department or agency where an Ohio certified firefighter, fire safety
inspector, hazard recognition officer, or fire instructor works, in either a
paid or volunteer status, using the Ohio certificate. It does not include
special events such as festivals or camps, or general employment where a
certificate holder may also work.
(B) "Affiliation agreement" means a written
agreement between a chartered program and any person that sets forth the roles
and responsibilities of the parties, is signed by the individuals with
authority to sign contracts, and provides for any of the following:
(1) The use of specified equipment necessary
for firefighter, fire safety inspector, hazard recognition officer, or
instructor courses;
(2) The use of
facilities not owned or leased by the chartered program.
(3) The use of a certified fire
instructor, live fire instructor, or fire safety inspector instructor, not
employed by the charter, to evaluate the ten hours of supervised teaching for
fire instructor or fire safety inspector instructor students.
(C) "Armed forces"
means the armed forces of the United States, including the army, navy, air
force, marine corps, coast guard, or any reserve components of those forces;
the national guard of any state; the commissioned corps of the United States
public health service; the merchant marine service during wartime; such other
service as may be designated by congress; or the Ohio organized militia when
engaged in full-time national guard duty for a period of more than thirty
days.
(D) "Assistant fire
instructor" means an individual who holds a certificate to assist in the
instruction of firefighter training courses under the auspices of a fire
and emergency services instructor and through a
chartered program, issued by the executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(E)
"Asynchronous
learning" means educational activities, discussions, and assignments that
engage students in learning at their own pace, on their own
time.
(E)(F) "Authorizing
official" means any person who owns or maintains responsibility on behalf of an
individual, corporation, trust, partnership, or an association for the
facilities, equipment, instructors, managers, and other employees of the
chartered program.
(G)
"Blended learning" means face-to-face class sessions
that are accompanied by online (synchronous or asynchronous) materials and
activities. A fundamental component of a blended course is that these online
materials are not intended to replace face- to-face class time; rather, they
are meant to supplement and build upon the content discussed in the classroom.
Also known as hybrid learning.
(F)(H) "Certificate of
course completion" means the document provided by a chartered program that
verifies a student has successfully completed all course requirements,
including passing all of the chartered program's written and practical skills
examinations for certifications issued pursuant to Chapters 4765-20 and 4765-21
of the Administrative Code.
(G)(I) "Certificate to
teach" means a certificate permitting an individual to provide instruction as a
fire and emergency services instructor, assistant fire instructor, or live fire
instructor, issued by the executive director pursuant to sections
4765.11 and
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapters 4765-18 and 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(H)(J)
"Charter" or "fire charter" means a certificate issued to a training
institution to offer firefighter, fire safety inspector, hazard recognition
officer, or instructor courses, issued by the executive director pursuant to
section 4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-24 of the Administrative Code.
(I)(K) "Chartered program"
means any organization or institution that has been issued a charter by the
executive director, in accordance with section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-24 of the Administrative Code, to offer firefighter, fire safety
inspector, hazard recognition officer, or instructor courses.
(J)(L)
"Committee" means the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee
of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services
created in sections 4765.04 and
4765.55 of the Revised
Code.
(K)(M) "Computer lab"
means a cluster of networked computers that are available for students to sit
for the written certification examination as set forth in the "Written Testing
Agreement."
(L)(N) "Distance learning"
means a training course which is taught in real-time and is interactive between
the student and the entity offering the course. Distance learning education
takes place when an instructor and a student or students are separated by
physical distance and utilizes technology often in concert with face-to-face
communication to bridge the instructional gap.
(M)(O) "Division"
or "DEMS" means the division of emergency medical
services within the Ohio department of public safety.
(N)(P)
"Drop back" is an option available to a fire safety inspector certificate
holder, who may drop back to a hazard recognition officer level of
certification during a certification cycle or at the time of renewal.
(Q)
"EMS accredited
institution" or "accredited institution" means any public agency, private
school, educational institution, emergency medical service organization,
vocational school, college, university, or hospital within Ohio that holds a
certificate of accreditation issued under section
4765.17 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-7 of the Administrative Code.
(O)(R) "Emergency vehicle
operations course" or "EVOC" is a course consisting of a minimum of sixteen
hours that focuses on familiarizing participants with terminology, driving
skills, and liability issues that relate to the operation of a fire department
vehicle. The course objectives, established by the executive director, have
been designed to meet, and shall be consistent with, the general knowledge
requirements, general skill requirements, and job performance requirements
specified in "NFPA 1002: Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator
Professional Qualifications" and "NFPA 1451: Standard for a Fire and Emergency
Service Vehicle Operations Training Program." The course objectives can be
found in the "Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Packet." The course is a
qualification requirement for Ohio firefighter I and firefighter II
certification.
(P)(S) "Evolution" is
defined by the national fire protection association as a set of prescribed
actions that result in an effective fireground activity or is defined as a
planned training sequence intended to develop knowledge, skills, and competency
and ensure safety during the training.
(Q)(T) "Executive
director" means the individual appointed by the director of public safety,
pursuant to section 4765.03 of the Revised Code, to
serve as the chief executive officer of the state board of emergency medical,
fire, and transportation services and as the executive director of the division
of emergency medical services.
(R)(U) "Federal emergency
management agency" or "FEMA" is an agency of the United States Department of
Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3
of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979.
(V)
"Fire and
Emergency Services Instructor," or "FESI," means an individual who holds a
certificate to teach fire, EMS, or other public safety officer courses, for
Ohio certification under the auspices of an accredited or chartered
institution.
(S)(W) "Fire department
instructors conference" or "FDIC" is an annual conference and exhibition
organized by the "PennWell" corporation and held in Indiana.
(T) "Fire instructor" means an
individual who holds a certificate to teach firefighter training courses,
issued by the executive director pursuant to section 4765.55 of the Revised
Code and Chapter 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(U)(X) "Fire-rescue
international" is the annual conference and exposition of the "International
Association of Fire Chiefs" or "IAFC."
(Y)
"Fire chief" is a
certified firefighter who has been designated as the head of a fire department
or "private firefighting brigade."
(Z)
"Fire Code
Academy" is a training organization that offers professional level training,
consulting, and continuing education in the fields of modern fire science, fire
protection, fire prevention, code enforcement, and emergency response.
(V)(AA) "Fire safety
inspector"
or "FSI" means an individual certified
by the executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-20 of the Administrative Code to perform fire safety inspector
duties as set forth in Chapter 3737. of the Revised Code.
(W) "Fire safety inspector
instructor" means an individual who holds a certificate to teach fire safety
inspector courses, issued by the executive director pursuant to section 4765.55
of the Revised Code and Chapter 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(X)(BB) "Firefighter"
means an individual who holds a certificate as a volunteer firefighter,
firefighter I, or firefighter II, issued by the executive director pursuant to
section 4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-20 of the Administrative Code.
(Y)(CC) "Good reputation"
or "good standing" means:
(1) An individual is
not the subject of an investigation or disciplinary action by any federal,
state, or local government agency or has not been denied a license or
certificate or had a license or certificate restricted, suspended, or revoked
by any public agency or licensing agency; or
(2) An entity, organization, or institution
that is in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations as
applicable to its operations, or is not currently under investigation by any
agency of the federal, state, or local government, or has not been denied any
necessary licenses or certificates, or had such licenses or certificates
restricted, suspended, or revoked.
(Z)(DD) "Hazard
recognition officer" or "HRO" means an individual
certified by the executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-20 of the Administrative Code to perform fire and life safety
inspection duties. A hazard recognition officer certificate does not meet the
requirements as set forth in Chapter 3737. of the Revised Code, and therefore,
a hazard recognition officer certificate holder shall not be granted authority
afforded a fire safety inspector certificate holder, including the authority to
issue citations or notice of violations.
(AA)(EE)
"Hazardous materials awareness and operations course" is a course consisting of
a minimum of twenty-four hours that is approved by the chartered program and is
consistent with the requirements of "NFPA 470" or
"NFPA 1072" related to the minimum requirements in terms of professional core
competencies for hazardous materials awareness and operations.
(FF)
"Hybrid
learning" see blended learning.
(BB)(GG) "Immediately
dangerous to life or health" or "IDLH" means any condition that would pose an
immediate or delayed threat to life, cause irreversible adverse health effects,
or interfere with an individual's ability to escape unaided from a hazardous
environment.
(CC)(HH) "Instructional
methods examination" means the certification
examination developed by the division and approved by the executive director
that covers teaching systems, as set forth in Chapters
4765-18 and 4765-21 of the Administrative Code. This examination may also be known as the "Fire and
Emergency Services Instructor I examination" and/or "Fire and Emergency
Services Instructor II examination."
(DD)(II) "Instructor"
means an individual who holds a certificate to teach as a fire
and emergency services instructor, live fire
instructor, or assistant fire instructor,
or fire safety inspector instructor, issued
by the executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapters 4765-18 and 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(EE)(JJ)
"Instructor trainer" means a fire and emergency
services instructor, live fire instructor, or
fire safety inspector instructor that has been appointed by an accredited or chartered program's authorizing
official or program director to teach fire instructor, live fire instructor, or fire safety inspector
instructor
and emergency services
instructor courses under the auspices of an accredited or chartered
institution.
(KK)
"International fire service accreditation congress" or
"IFSAC" accredits organizations that use the NFPA's professional qualification
standards and operates a certification registry.
(FF)(LL)
"International fire service training association" or "IFSTA" is an association
that identifies areas of need for training materials and fosters the
development and validation of training materials for the fire service and
related areas.
(GG)(MM) "Job performance
requirements" or "JPRs" describe a specific job task, listing the items
necessary to complete the task successfully, and define measurable or
observable outcomes and evaluation areas for the specific task.
(HH)(NN)
"Knowledge examination" means the written portion of the initial, reciprocity,
and reinstatement examinations, as set forth in Chapter 4765-20 and Chapter
4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(II)(OO) "Lead instructor"
means an individual who holds a certificate to teach as a fire
and emergency services instructor,
or live fire instructor,
or fire safety inspector instructor and is
delegated by the program director to be in charge of designated classroom or
practical skills portions of a fire training course.
(JJ)(PP) "Live fire
instructor" means an individual who holds a certificate to teach live fire
training, a certificate to teach as a fire and
emergency services instructor I or II, and a provider certificate as a
firefighter II as per the requirements listed in NFPA 1041 Chapter 7,
under the auspices of a chartered fire training program, issued by the
executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(QQ)
"Live fire
instructor-in-charge" means an individual who holds a certificate to teach live
fire training, a certificate to teach as a fire and emergency services
instructor II, and a provider certificate as a firefighter II as per the
requirements listed in NFPA 1041 Chapter 8, under the auspices of a chartered
fire training program, issued by the executive director pursuant to section
4765.55 of the Revised Code and
Chapter 4765-21 of the Administrative Code.
(KK)(RR) "National
domestic preparedness consortium" or "NDPC" provides training to emergency
responders throughout the United States and its territories under a cooperative
agreement among the U.S. department of homeland security, the federal emergency
management agency, and other partners.
(LL)(SS) "National fire
academy" is operated and governed by the United States fire administration as
part of the U.S. department of homeland security from a campus in
Maryland.
(MM)(TT) "National fire
protection association" or "NFPA" is an international nonprofit organization
which sets the nationally accepted standards for research, training, and
education for all aspects of firefighting and the fire service.
(UU)
"National
institute for occupational safety and health" or "NIOSH" is the United States
federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations
for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.
(NN)(VV)
"Offsite location" means a location where the majority of didactic training for
a course is conducted, if not at the fixed geographic location where the
chartered program is operated.
(OO)(WW) "Online
education" means a training course delivered by
correspondence, telecommunication, internet, web-based media, or combination of
media, and may include a short period of on-campus attendance
computer based, self-paced (asynchronous) learning
environment that takes place on the internet at the student's
convenience.
(PP)(XX) "Personal alert
safety system" or "PASS" is a device that issues an alarm signaling that a
firefighter needs assistance.
(QQ)(YY) "Personal
protective equipment" or "PPE" consists of a full ensemble of protective
clothing, plus a "self-contained breathing apparatus" or "SCBA" and a "personal
alert safety system" or "PASS" device.
(RR)(ZZ) "Practical skills
evaluator" means a fire and emergency services
instructor or fire safety inspector
instructor that has successfully completed the "Practical Skills
Evaluator Training Course" under the auspices of the chartered
program.
(SS)(AAA) "Practical
skills evaluator refresher training" is a program, approved by the executive
director, developed using form "EMS 1260" and conducted through the chartered
programs on an annual basis, designed to ensure the skills evaluators are
conducting evaluations safely according to the current standards as determined
by the division.
(TT)(BBB) "Practical
skills examination" means the practical skills portion of the initial,
reciprocity, and reinstatement examinations, as set forth in Chapter 4765-20,
Chapter 4765-21, and Chapter 4765-24 of the Administrative Code.
(CCC)
"Private
firefighting brigade" is any organized group of employees having fire- fighting
response duties, such as emergency brigades, emergency response teams, fire
teams, and plant emergency organizations.
(UU)(DDD) "ProBoard" or
"national board on fire service professional qualifications" accredits
organizations that use the NFPA's professional qualification standards and
operates a certification registry.
(EEE)
"Probation"
means a formal rebuke of a chartered institution for violations of the Ohio
Revised Code or Ohio Administrative Code, while permitting the chartered
institution to continue to operate, though the chartered institution may be
subject to increased monitoring or sanctioned more severely if further
violations are substantiated during the specified period.
(VV)(FFF)
"Program director" means the authorizing official or that person designated by
the authorizing official of an accredited or
chartered program to oversee the administration and operation of a fire
charter.
(GGG)
"Public Safety Officer" means any individual serving a
public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law
enforcement officer, firefighter, rescue squad member, or emergency medical
services (EMS) provider.
(WW)(HHH) "Reinstatement"
is the process by which a holder of a firefighter certificate, fire safety
inspector certificate, hazard recognition officer certificate, instructor certificate, or a charter,
issued by the executive director may regain a certificate or charter that has
expired, was voluntarily surrendered, or has been revoked.
(XX)(III)
"Restrict" means to preclude a certificate holder from engaging in a particular
conduct or activity, to impose conditions on the manner in which such conduct
or activity may be performed, or to require the certificate holder to abide by
specific conditions in order to continue functioning under the holder's
certificate.
(YY)(JJJ) "Revocation"
means the loss of a certificate issued under section
4765.55 of the Revised Code for
at least one year from the date on which the executive director's order
revoking the certificate was journalized.
(ZZ)(KKK) "Self-contained
breathing apparatus" or "SCBA" means a device worn by rescue workers,
firefighters, and others to provide breathable air in an "Immediately Dangerous
to Life or Health" (IDLH) atmosphere.
(AAA)(LLL) "Skills
coordinator" means an individual designated by the program director to be in
charge of the administration, set up, and supervision of practical skills
examinations.
(MMM)
"Synchronous learning" means real-time learning in
which participants interact at the same time and in the same space, such as
virtual meetings and chats.
(BBB)(NNN) "Veteran" means
any person who has completed service in the armed forces, including the
national guard of any state, or a reserve component of the armed forces, who
has been discharged under honorable conditions from the armed forces or who has
been transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory
service.
