(a) Duty to establish guidelines.--The commissioner shall establish guidelines for the development, delivery and maintenance of an online system of firefighter training for firefighters. The guidelines shall state, at a minimum, that the training is voluntary and offered free of charge.
(b) Prioritization training program.--The training program shall be incorporated into the Train PA system or any other system approved by the commissioner, and the courses or programs offered must be, to the greatest extent possible, courses or programs that do not require hands-on or field training and provide, at a minimum, basic-level training for firefighters.
(c) Prioritization.--In establishing online training courses, the commissioner shall prioritize specific topics.
(d) Certificate of completion.--The commissioner shall provide a certificate of completion to a firefighter who successfully completes an online firefighter training program.
(e) Publication.--The Office of the State Fire Commissioner shall post a complete listing of the available online firefighter training courses on the office's publicly accessible Internet website.
(f) Funding.--The commissioner shall use money in the Online Training Educator and Training Reimbursement Account established under section 2413(a)(2) of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, for the purpose of administering this section.
(g) Reporting.--By December 31 each year, the commissioner shall provide a written report detailing the use of the Online Training Educator and Training Reimbursement Account from the prior fiscal year to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Senate, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives and the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives.
(Nov. 27, 2019, P.L.737, No.106, eff. 60 days)
2019 Amendment. Act 106 added section 7388.