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HLS 26RS-790 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 894
BY REPRESENTATIVE DEWITT
CIVIL SERVICE/FIRE & POL: Provides relative to the powers and duties of certain
firefighters in the city of Alexandria
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 33:2481.8, relative to the city of Alexandria; to provide relative to the fire and
3 police departments; to provide relative to employees within each department; to
4 provide relative to the powers and duties of the employees; to authorize the creation
5 of a new position within the fire department; to provide relative to oversight for such
6 position; to provide relative to training and certification requirements; and to provide
7 for related matters.
8 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published
9 as provided by Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of
10 Louisiana.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 33:2481.8 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 §2481.8. City of Alexandria; public safety officer
14 A. The governing authority of the city of Alexandria may create, by
15 ordinance, the position of public safety officer within the fire department. A public
16 safety officer is a fire department employee who shall perform both firefighting and
17 police duties.
18 B.(1) To be eligible for appointment as a public safety officer, an employee
19 shall meet the following requirements:
20 (a) Current employment and good standing within the fire department.
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HLS 26RS-790 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 894
1 (b) Hold a rank below captain.
2 (c) Authorization by the appointing authority to perform police work.
3 (d) Successful completion of a normal background investigation and any
4 psychometric, psychological, or other medical or physical examinations for police
5 officers in the city of Alexandria.
6 (e) Successful completion of all firefighter training and certification
7 requirements.
8 (f) Successful completion of all police officer training requirements as
9 mandated by the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
10 (g) Successful completion of a comprehensive dual-role training program
11 approved by the fire chief and chief of police.
12 (2) Only the fire chief may recommend an employee to the appointing
13 authority to be a candidate for public safety officer.
14 (3) The chief of police may reject any candidate who is recommended for
15 appointment as a public safety officer.
16 (4) All public safety officers shall maintain current certifications and
17 participate in ongoing professional development as required by both the fire
18 department and police department.
19 C.(1) Fire department employees may perform all duties of a firefighter and,
20 upon appointment as a public safety officer, all duties of a police officer, including
21 but not limited to law enforcement, emergency medical response, rescue operations,
22 and community safety initiatives.
23 (2) A fire department employee shall exercise police powers only when
24 appointed as a public safety officer and shall perform all duties in accordance with
25 police department policies.
26 (3) Public safety officers shall comply with operational protocols and
27 reporting requirements of the fire department and police department in which they
28 are serving.
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HLS 26RS-790 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 894
1 D.(1) Public safety officers shall be subject to the civil service rules and
2 regulations applicable to the fire department.
3 (2) Any allegations of misconduct or violations of departmental policies
4 shall be investigated under the applicable civil service rules of the fire department,
5 with input from officials of both the fire department and police department as
6 necessary.
7 (3) The chief of police may determine that a public safety officer shall no
8 longer perform police duties, subject to a written joint policy between the fire
9 department and police department.
10 E.(1) The fire chief and chief of police shall jointly develop and approve
11 training standards, operational guidelines, and performance metrics for public safety
12 officers.
13 (2) The fire chief and chief of police shall jointly submit for approval to the
14 fire and police civil service board a proposed dual role training curriculum and
15 operational guidelines no later than ninety days after the effective date of this
16 Section.
17 (3) All necessary amendments to departmental policies and fire and police
18 civil service rules shall be promulgated no later than one hundred eighty days after
19 the effective date of this Section.
20 (4) Oversight of public safety officers conduct, certifications, and
21 assignments shall be maintained through regular audits, joint supervisory meetings,
22 and annual reviews conducted by the fire and police civil service board.
23 F.(1) Fire department employees shall retain their rank and seniority in the
24 fire department, regardless of an appointment as a public safety officer.
25 (2) Service as a public safety officer shall not constitute a break in service
26 or adversely affect promotional eligibility or seniority accrual within the fire
27 department.
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HLS 26RS-790 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 894
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 894 Original 2026 Regular Session Dewitt
Abstract: Authorizes the governing authority of the city of Alexandria to create the
position of public safety officer within the fire department.
Present constitution creates a fire and police civil service system applicable to municipalities
of over 13,000 in population and parishes and fire protection districts. Provides that the
system is subject to Art. XIV, §15.1 of the 1921 Constitution made statutory by the 1974
Constitution. Present law creates and provides for two fire and police civil service systems:
(1) one applicable to any municipality which operates paid police and fire departments and
which has a population of not fewer than 13,000 persons; and (2) one applicable to any
parish, fire protection district, or municipality with a population of fewer than 13,000, but
not fewer than 7,000 persons.
Proposed law retains present constitution and present law.
Present law, relative to both systems, provides that a municipal fire and police civil service
board is created in the municipal, parish, and fire protection government. Requires the board
to establish and maintain employment lists containing the names of persons eligible for
appointment to various classes of positions in the classified service. Requires that names of
persons attaining a passing score on a promotion test be placed on the promotion
employment list for the tested class, from highest to lowest, according to departmental
seniority.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law authorizes the governing authority of the city of Alexandria to create, by
ordinance, the position of public safety officer within the fire department. Provides that a
public safety officer is a fire department employee who shall perform both firefighting and
police duties.
Proposed law requires an employee to meet certain eligibility requirements to become a
public safety officer, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Current employment and good standing within the fire department.
(2) Hold a rank below captain.
(3) Authorization by the appointing authority to perform police work.
(4) Successful completion of a normal background investigation and any psychometric,
psychological, or other medical or physical examinations for police officers in the
city of Alexandria.
(5) Successful completion of all firefighter training and certification requirements.
Proposed law provides that only the fire chief may recommend an employee to the
appointing authority to be a candidate for public safety officer. Additionally provides that
the police chief may reject any candidate who is recommended for appointment as a public
safety officer.
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HLS 26RS-790 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 894
Proposed law requires all public safety officers to maintain current certifications and
participate in ongoing professional development as required by both the fire department and
police department. Provides that public safety officers may perform all duties of a police
officer, including but not limited to law enforcement, emergency medical response, rescue
operations, and community safety initiatives.
Proposed law provides that public safety officers shall be subject to the civil service rules
and regulations applicable to the fire department. Provides that any allegations of
misconduct or violations of departmental policies shall be investigated under the applicable
civil service rules of the fire department, with input from officials of both the fire department
and police department as necessary. Additionally provides that the police chief may
determine that a public safety officer shall no longer perform police duties, subject to a
written joint policy between the fire department and police department.
Proposed law requires the fire chief and police chief to jointly develop and approve training
standards, operational guidelines, and performance metrics for public safety officers.
Requires the fire chief and police chief to jointly submit for approval to the fire and police
civil service board a proposed dual role training curriculum and operational guidelines no
later than 90 days after the effective date of proposed law. Provides that all necessary
amendments to departmental policies and fire and police civil service rules shall be
promulgated no later than 180 days after the effective date of proposed law.
Proposed law provides that fire department employees shall retain their rank and seniority,in
the fire department, regardless of an appointment as a public safety officer. Provides that
service as a public safety officer shall not constitute a break in service or adversely affect
promotional eligibility or seniority accrual within the fire department.
(Adds R.S. 33:2481.8)
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