CGS § 7-323k. Commission on Fire Prevention and Control.

(a)(1) There is established a Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Until June 30, 2025, the commission shall consist of twelve members appointed by the Governor. The State Fire Marshal or the State Fire Marshal's designee and the chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities or the chancellor's designee shall serve as ex-officio, voting members of said commission. Of the twelve members appointed by the Governor, two shall represent The Connecticut State Firefighter's Association, two shall represent the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, two shall represent the Uniformed Professional Firefighters of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, two shall represent the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, two shall represent the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association and two shall represent the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The term of any member appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall end on June 30, 2025.

(2) On and after July 1, 2025, the commission shall consist of the following members:

(A) Two members of The Connecticut State Firefighter's Association, one of whom is the chairperson of the association's education committee, appointed by the Governor;

(B) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, appointed by the Governor;

(C) Two members of the Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs' Association, appointed by the Governor;

(D) Two members of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, appointed by the Governor;

(E) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, appointed by the Governor;

(F) Two members of the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, appointed by the Governor;

(G) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, appointed by the Governor;

(H) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, appointed by the Governor;

(I) A representative of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security;

(J) A representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security;

(K) A member of the Connecticut Fire Equipment Mechanics Association, appointed by the House ranking member of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security;

(L) A representative of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board, appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security;

(M) The State Fire Marshal, who shall be a nonvoting member;

(N) The forest protection supervisor within the Forestry Division of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or such supervisor's designee, who shall be a nonvoting member; and

(O) The commanding officer of the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, or such officer's designee, who shall be a nonvoting member.

(b) On or before July fifteenth, annually, each organization to be represented on said commission shall submit to the appropriate appointing authority a list of nominees for appointment to said commission, which list the appointing authority may use when making appointments to said commission. Appointing authorities shall appoint members to said commission to serve for three years, or until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled by the appointing authority for the unexpired portion of the term. Persons appointed to said commission shall be qualified, by experience or education, in the fields of fire protection, fire prevention, fire suppression, fire fighting and related fields.

(c) The commission shall meet at such times and at such places as it deems proper. On and before June 30, 2025, the commission shall elect from its membership a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary who shall serve a one year term commencing on October first of the year in which they are elected, provided such terms shall expire on June 30, 2025, and nothing contained herein shall prevent their reelection to such office. On and after July 1, 2025, the Governor shall appoint the chairperson of the commission from the commission's membership, and the commission shall elect from its membership a vice chairperson and secretary, who shall serve one year terms, provided nothing contained herein shall prevent their reelection to such office. No member of said commission shall receive compensation for such member's services.

(d) Members of the commission shall not be considered as holding public office solely by virtue of their membership on said commission.

(e) On and after July 1, 2025, the members of the education committee of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc., shall serve as a subcommittee of the commission on matters relating to fire schools.

(f) The commission shall be within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

Short History

(P.A. 73-649, S. 2, 5; P.A. 75-617, S. 2, 8; P.A. 80-169, S. 1; P.A. 82-432, S. 1, 19; P.A. 89-260, S. 7, 41; P.A. 96-190, S. 6, 8; P.A. 11-48, S. 274; 11-51, S. 150; P.A. 16-15, S. 13; P.A. 24-22, S. 10; 24-136, S. 2.)

Long History

History: P.A. 75-617 substituted commission on fire prevention and control for commission on fire fighting personnel standards and education, substituted executive secretary of state technical colleges board of trustees or his designee for secretary of the state board of education, increased membership from nine to twelve members, increased from one to two the representatives of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association and the Connecticut Conference of Mayors, amended appointment provisions in Subsec. (b) and made term three rather than two years and made executive secretary of technical colleges board of trustees, rather than director, responsible for providing facilities which no longer were required to be at Hartford State Technical College; P.A. 80-169 substituted director of technical colleges board of trustees for executive secretary and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities for Conference of Mayors in Subsec. (a) and deleted Subsec. (d), relettering Subsec. (e) accordingly; P.A. 82-432 added Subsec. (e) placing the commission in the department of public safety for administrative purposes only; P.A. 89-260 in Subsec. (a) substituted the “executive secretary of the board of trustees of community-technical colleges” for the “director of the board of trustees of the state technical colleges”; P.A. 96-190 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to secretary of community-technical colleges board of trustees with “chancellor” of community-technical colleges, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and replace “chancellor of the community-technical colleges” with “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “Firemen's” to “Firefighter's” and adding “Professional”, amended Subsec. (e) by removing commission from Department of Public Safety for administrative purposes only and placing commission in Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 16-15 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 24-22 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” with “chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 24-136 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), end term of members on June 30, 2025, and add Subdiv. (2) re membership on and after July 1, 2025, amended Subsec. (b) to replace references to Governor with appointing authority, allow members to serve until successor is appointed, provide that appointing authority fills vacancy for unexpired term and make technical changes, amended Subsec. (c) to revise provisions re appointment of officers, added new Subsec. (e) re education committee of Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc. and redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f), effective June 6, 2024.