15 USC 2206 - National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control

View all text of Chapter 49 [§ 2201 - § 2235]

§ 2206. National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control

(a) Establishment

(b) Superintendent

(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, including on-site training;

(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 AcademyThe 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;

(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) tactics and strategies for dealing with natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters;

(I) tactics and strategies for fighting large-scale fires or multiple fires in a general area that cross jurisdictional boundaries;

(J) tactics and strategies for fighting fires occurring at the wildland-urban interface;

(K) tactics and strategies for fighting fires involving hazardous materials;

(L) advanced emergency medical services training;

(M) use of and familiarity with the Federal Response Plan;

(N) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated management systems operations and integrated response;

(O) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting wildland fires;

(P) integrating the activities of terrorism response agencies into national terrorism incident response systems;

(Q) tactics and strategies for fighting fires at United States ports, including fires on the water and aboard vessels; and

(R) 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 assistanceThe 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

(g) Site selectionThe Academy shall be located on such site as the Administrator of FEMA selects, subject to the following provisions:

(1) The Administrator of FEMA 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 Administrator of FEMA.

(2) The Site Selection Board in making its recommendations and the Administrator of FEMA 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 Administrator of FEMA shall make a final site selection not later than 2 years after October 29, 1974.

(h) Construction costs

(i) Educational and professional assistanceThe 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

(k) Accreditation

(l) Admission

(m) On-site training

(1) In general

(2) Limitation

(A) In generalThe Administrator may not enter into a contract with an organization described in paragraph (1) unless such organization provides training that—

(i) leads to certification by a program that is accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation organization; or

(ii) the Administrator determines is of equivalent quality to a fire service training program described by clause (i).

(B) Approval of unaccredited fire service training programs

(3) Restriction on use of funds

(n) Triennial reportIn the first annual report filed pursuant to section 2215 of this title for which the deadline for filing is after the expiration of the 18-month period that begins on October 8, 2008, and in every third annual report thereafter, the Administrator shall include information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum, including—

(1) the basis for such changes, including a review of the incorporation of lessons learned by emergency response personnel after significant emergency events and emergency preparedness exercises performed under the National Exercise Program; and

(2) the desired training outcome of all such changes.

(Pub. L. 93–498, § 7, Oct. 29, 1974, 88 Stat. 1537; Pub. L. 106–503, title I, § 110(a)(2)(B)(ii), Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2302; Pub. L. 108–169, title II, § 204(a), (d), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2039; Pub. L. 110–376, § 4(a)–(c), Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 4057, 4058; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVIII, § 1802(b)(1), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2100.)