Fire protection: volunteer firefighters: training.

Existing law establishes the California Fire Service Training and Education Program in the office of the State Fire Marshal and requires the State Fire Marshal to make fire service training and education programs, including training and education in the use of heavy rescue equipment, available on a voluntary basis to fire departments that rely extensively on volunteers. This bill would require the State Fire Marshal to employ at least 5 traveling training officers and any necessary equipment to provide weekend and evening training classes year-round, as specified, to volunteer fire departments and those fire departments consisting of a combination of volunteer, partly paid, or fully paid members. The bill would also authorize firefighters to receive 100% reimbursement of actual costs from the State Fire Marshal for attending training classes at a local community college if the State Fire Marshal is unable to provide training classes. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to adopt regulations implementing these provisions. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to report annually to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program. The bill would make the implementation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025.