Vehicles: firefighter endorsements.

Existing law provides that in order to operate firefighting equipment, a driver is required to (1) obtain and maintain a firefighter endorsement issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain and maintain a restricted class A license, a noncommercial class B license, or a class C license, as specified, or (2) obtain and maintain a class A or B license, as specified, for the size and configuration of the firefighting equipment operated. To qualify for a firefighter endorsement, existing law requires a driver to provide to the Department of Motor Vehicles proof of current employment as a firefighter or volunteer firefighter and evidence of fire equipment operation training that includes directly supervised behind-the-wheel driver training. Existing law requires a person conducting the driver training described above to be registered with the Office of the State Fire Marshal or to meet certain other requirements. Among those other requirements, existing law requires the person to possess a minimum of 5 years of fire service experience as an emergency vehicle operator, as specified, and to possess a valid class A or B license or a class A or B license restricted to the operation of firefighting equipment. This bill would revise the licensing requirement described above for a person who conducts driver training to include a person who possesses a class C license with a firefighter endorsement.