Section 408.17310. Employer responsibilities.

(1) The employer having a fire brigade shall prepare and maintain a statement or written policy that establishes the existence of a fire brigade; and the basic organizational structure; the type, amount, and frequency of training to be provided to fire brigade members; the expected number of members in the fire brigade; and the functions that the fire brigade is to perform at the workplace. The organizational statement shall be available for inspection by the director of the department of licensing and regulatory affairs and by employees or their designated representatives.

(2)   The employer shall assure that employees who are expected to do structural fire fighting are physically capable of performing duties that may be assigned to them during emergencies. The employer shall not permit employees with known heart disease, epilepsy, or emphysema to participate in fire brigade emergency activities unless a physician’s certificate of the employees’ fitness to participate in such activities is provided. For employees assigned to fire brigades before September 15, 1980, this rule is

effective  on  September  15,   1985.  For  employees  assigned   to  fire  brigades   after September 15, 1980, this rule applies.

(3)   The employer shall provide training and education for all fire brigade members commensurate with those duties and functions that fire brigade members are expected to perform. Such training and education shall be provided to fire brigade members before they perform fire brigade emergency activities. Fire brigade leaders and training instructors shall be provided with training and education which is more comprehensive than that provided to the general membership of the fire brigade.

(4)   The quality of training and education programs for fire brigade members shall be similar to the training and programs conducted by such fire training schools as any of the following:

(a)  Maryland fire and rescue institute.

(b)   Iowa fire service extension.

(c)   West Virginia fire service extension.

(d)  Georgia fire academy.

(e)   New York state department, fire prevention and control.

(f)  Louisiana state university firemen training program.

(g)    Michigan’s Macomb community college, fire and emergency services training center.

(h)   Washington state’s fire service training commission for vocational education.

(5)     The training and education program for oil refinery industry fire brigade members shall be similar in quality to the training and education program conducted by any of the following:

(a)   Macomb community college of Michigan, fire and emergency services training center.

(b)   Texas A & M university.

(c)   Lamar university.

(d)  Reno fire school.

(e)   Delaware state fire school.

(6)   Training for incipient fires shall be similar to the training provided by the fire training schools listed in subrule (4) of this rule or to the fire training for incipient fires offered by the school of labor and industrial relations at Michigan state university.

(7)    An employer shall assure that training and education is conducted frequently enough to ensure that each member of the fire brigade is able to perform the member’s assigned duties and functions satisfactorily and in a safe manner so as not to endanger fire brigade members or other employees. All fire brigade members shall be provided with training at least annually. In addition, fire brigade members who are expected to perform interior structural fire fighting shall be provided with an education session or training at least quarterly.

(8)   An employer shall inform fire brigade members about special hazards, such as the storage and use of flammable liquids and gases, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources, and water reactive substances, to which they may be exposed during a fire and other emergencies. The fire brigade members shall also be advised of any changes that occur in relation to the special hazards.

(9)    An employer shall develop written procedures that describe the actions to be taken in situations involving special hazards and shall include these written procedures in

the training and education program. An employer shall make the procedures available for inspection by fire brigade members.

History: 1984 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS; 2013 AACS; 2015 AACS.