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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 2206. National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control
(a) Establishment
The Director shall establish, at the earliest practicable date, a
National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control. The purpose of
the Academy shall be to advance the professional development of
fire service personnel and of other persons engaged in fire
prevention and control activities.
(b) Superintendent
The Academy shall be headed by a Superintendent, who shall be
appointed by the Director. In exercising the powers and authority
contained in this section the Superintendent shall be subject to
the direction of the Administrator.
(c) Powers of Superintendent
The Superintendent is authorized to -
(1) develop and revise curricula, standards for admission and
performance, and criteria for the awarding of degrees and
certifications;
(2) appoint such teaching staff and other personnel as he
determines to be necessary or appropriate;
(3) conduct courses and programs of training and education, as
defined in subsection (d) of this section;
(4) appoint faculty members and consultants without regard to
the provisions of title 5, governing appointments in the
competitive service, and, with respect to temporary and
intermittent services, to make appointments to the same extent as
is authorized by section 3109 of title 5;
(5) establish fees and other charges for attendance at, and
subscription to, courses and programs offered by the Academy.
Such fees may be modified or waived as determined by the
Superintendent;
(6) conduct short courses, seminars, workshops, conferences,
and similar education and training activities in all parts and
localities of the United States;
(7) enter into such contracts and take such other actions as
may be necessary in carrying out the purposes of the Academy; and
(8) consult with officials of the fire services and other
interested persons in the exercise of the foregoing powers.
(d) Program of the Academy
The Superintendent is authorized to -
(1) train fire service personnel in such skills and knowledge
as may be useful to advance their ability to prevent and control
fires, including, but not limited to -
(A) techniques of fire prevention, fire inspection,
firefighting, and fire and arson investigation;
(B) tactics and command of firefighting for present and
future fire chiefs and commanders;
(C) administration and management of fire services;
(D) tactical training in the specialized field of aircraft
fire control and crash rescue;
(E) tactical training in the specialized field of fire
control and rescue aboard waterborne vessels;
(F) strategies for building collapse rescue;
(G) the use of technology in response to fires, including
terrorist incidents and other national emergencies;
(H) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with
terrorist-caused national catastrophes;
(I) use of and familiarity with the Federal Response Plan;
(J) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated
management systems operations and integrated response;
(K) applying new technology and developing strategies and
tactics for fighting forest fires;
(L) integrating the activities of terrorism response agencies
into national terrorism incident response systems;
(M) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at
United States ports, including fires on the water and aboard
vessels; and
(N) the training of present and future instructors in the
aforementioned subjects;
(2) develop model curricula, training programs and other
educational materials suitable for use at other educational
institutions, and to make such materials available without
charge;
(3) develop and administer a program of correspondence courses
to advance the knowledge and skills of fire service personnel;
(4) develop and distribute to appropriate officials model
questions suitable for use in conducting entrance and promotional
examinations for fire service personnel; and
(5) encourage the inclusion of fire prevention and detection
technology and practices in the education and professional
practice of architects, builders, city planners, and others
engaged in design and planning affected by fire safety problems.
(e) Technical assistance
The Administrator is authorized, to the extent that he determines
it necessary to meet the needs of the Nation, to encourage new
programs and to strengthen existing programs of education and
training by local fire services, units, and departments, State and
local governments, and private institutions, by providing technical
assistance and advice to -
(1) vocational training programs in techniques of fire
prevention, fire inspection, firefighting, and fire and arson
investigation;
(2) fire training courses and programs at junior colleges; and
(3) four-year degree programs in fire engineering at colleges
and universities.
(f) Assistance to State and local fire service training programs
The Administrator is authorized to provide assistance to State
and local fire service training programs through grants, contracts,
or otherwise. Such assistance shall not exceed 4 per centum of the
amount authorized to be appropriated in each fiscal year pursuant
to section 2216 of this title.
(g) Site selection
The Academy shall be located on such site as the Director
selects, subject to the following provisions:
(1) The Director is authorized to appoint a Site Selection
Board consisting of the Academy Superintendent and two other
members to survey the most suitable sites for the location of the
Academy and to make recommendations to the Director.
(2) The Site Selection Board in making its recommendations and
the Director in making his final selection, shall give
consideration to the training and facility needs of the Academy,
environmental effects, the possibility of using a surplus
Government facility, and such other factors as are deemed
important and relevant. The Director shall make a final site
selection not later than 2 years after October 29, 1974.
(h) Construction costs
Of the sums authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of
implementing the programs of the Administration, not more than
$9,000,000 shall be available for the construction of facilities of
the Academy on the site selected under subsection (g) of this
section. Such sums for such construction shall remain available
until expended.
(i) Educational and professional assistance
The Administrator is authorized to -
(1) provide stipends to students attending Academy courses and
programs, in amounts up to 75 per centum of the expense of
attendance, as established by the Superintendent;
(2) provide stipends to students attending courses and
nondegree training programs approved by the Superintendent at
universities, colleges, and junior colleges, in amounts up to 50
per centum of the cost of tuition;
(3) make or enter into contracts to make payments to
institutions of higher education for loans, not to exceed $2,500
per academic year for any individual who is enrolled on a
full-time basis in an undergraduate or graduate program of fire
research or engineering which is certified by the Superintendent.
Loans under this paragraph shall be made on such terms and
subject to such conditions as the Superintendent and each
institution involved may jointly determine; and
(4) establish and maintain a placement and promotion
opportunities center in cooperation with the fire services, for
firefighters who wish to learn and take advantage of different or
better career opportunities. Such center shall not limit such
assistance to students and graduates of the Academy, but shall
undertake to assist all fire service personnel.
(j) Board of Visitors
Upon establishment of the Academy, the Director shall establish a
procedure for the selection of professionals in the field of fire
safety, fire prevention, fire control, research and development in
fire protection, treatment and rehabilitation of fire victims, or
local government services management to serve as members of a Board
of Visitors for the Academy. Pursuant to such procedure, the
Director shall select eight such persons to serve as members of
such Board of Visitors to serve such terms as the Director may
prescribe. The function of such Board shall be to review annually
the program of the Academy and to make comments and recommendations
to the Director regarding the operation of the Academy and any
improvements therein which such Board deems appropriate. Each
member of such Board shall be reimbursed for any expenses actually
incurred by him in the performance of his duties as a member of
such Board.
(k) Accreditation
The Superintendent is authorized to establish a Committee on Fire
Training and Education which shall inquire into and make
recommendations regarding the desirability of establishing a
mechanism for accreditation of fire training and education programs
and courses, and the role which the Academy should play if such a
mechanism is recommended. The Committee shall consist of the
Superintendent as Chairman and eighteen other members appointed by
the Administrator from among individuals and organizations
possessing special knowledge and experience in the field of fire
training and education or related fields. The Committee shall
submit to the Administrator within two years after its appointment,
a full and complete report of its findings and recommendations.
Upon the submission of such report, the Committee shall cease to
exist. Each appointed member of the Committee shall be reimbursed
for expenses actually incurred in the performance of his duties as
a member.
(l) Admission
The Superintendent is authorized to admit to the courses and
programs of the Academy individuals who are members of the
firefighting, rescue, and civil defense forces of the Nation and
such other individuals, including candidates for membership in
these forces, as he determines can benefit from attendance.
Students shall be admitted from any State, with due regard to
adequate representation in the student body of all geographic
regions of the Nation. In selecting students, the Superintendent
may seek nominations and advice from the fire services and other
organizations which wish to send students to the Academy. The
Superintendent shall offer, at the Academy and at other sites,
courses and training assistance as necessary to accommodate all
geographic regions and needs of career and volunteer firefighters.
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