State Fire Marshal Fire Suppression Education and Training Safety Act.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about local fire authorities' responsibilities beyond investigating complaints, so additional claims about their roles have been removed.

State Fire Marshal's Rules for Fire Suppression Workers

The State Fire Marshal Fire Suppression Education and Training Safety Act requires workers to be certified or registered by the State Fire Marshal before working on fire suppression systems, establishes training requirements, imposes supervision duties on contractors, grants investigation powers to the State Fire Marshal, and sets penalties for violations.

What This Bill Does

• Requires individuals to obtain certification or registration from the State Fire Marshal before working on water- or chemical-based fire suppression systems.
• Establishes specific training and application requirements for trainees, apprentices, and certified professionals in fire sprinkler fitting.
• Imposes supervision duties on licensed fire protection contractors who assign workers to tasks involving fire suppression systems.
• Gives the State Fire Marshal authority to investigate complaints of violations and issue notices or orders if necessary.
• Requires the State Fire Marshal to establish administrative processes for fees and penalties related to certification and compliance.

Who It Names or Affects

• Individuals working on water- or chemical-based fire suppression systems, including trainees, apprentices, and certified professionals.
• Licensed fire protection contractors who assign workers to these tasks.
• Local fire authorities responsible for investigating complaints of violations.

Terms To Know

Fire Suppression System

A system designed to control or extinguish fires using water or chemicals.

Certified Fire Sprinkler Fitter

A professional who has completed training and meets the State Fire Marshal's requirements for working on fire suppression systems.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify an effective date.
• It creates a new misdemeanor crime, which may have additional legal implications.

Official Summary Text

SB 1299, as amended, Arreguín.
State Fire Marshal Fire Suppression Education and Training Safety Act.
Existing law authorizes the State Fire Marshal to propose, adopt, and administer the regulations that the State Fire Marshal deems necessary in order to ensure fire safety in buildings and structures within this state, including regulations related to construction, modification, installation, testing, inspection, labeling, listing, certification, registration, licensing, reporting, operation, and maintenance. Existing law authorizes the State Fire Marshal to establish and collect reasonable fees necessary to implement these provisions. Under existing law the State Fire Marshal has enacted regulations for the certification and regulation of fire sprinkler fitters pursuant to the above-described authority. A violation of these regulations is a misdemeanor.
This bill, the State Fire Marshal Fire Suppression Education and Training Safety Act,
would codify and revise and recast the above-described regulations for the certification and regulation of fire sprinkler fitters. The bill would prohibit a person from working on a water- or chemical-based fire suppression system, as defined, without first being certified or registered by the State Fire Marshal, except as provided. The bill would establish training and other application requirements for a fire sprinkler fitter trainee, a fire sprinkler fitter apprentice, and a certified fire sprinkler fitter. The bill would impose specified supervision requirements and would require a licensed fire protection contractor to ensure the people it assigns to work on a fire suppression system are appropriately certified or registered.
This bill would enumerate the powers and duties of the State Fire Marshal with regard to the act. Upon receipt of a written complaint of an alleged violation of the act, the bill would require the State Fire Marshal to notify the local
fire (authority) having jurisdiction and request that the authority investigate the complaint and, if the authority fails to investigate, would authorize the State Fire Marshal to investigate. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal or the authority to inspect project worksites, subject a person who violates the act to a notice of violation or correction
order,
order and subject components of the fire suppression system to removal,
and, if the condition is not corrected immediately, issue a stop work
order and possible removal of the fire suppression system.
order.
The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to implement
provisions related to the administrative processes and fees applicable to fire sprinkler fitter trainees, apprentices, and certified professionals, and to penalize violators of the act, as provided. The bill would also authorize the State Fire Marshal to establish and collect fees no greater than the actual and reasonable costs necessary to implement the act. The bill would make a violation of the act a misdemeanor. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF