(A) The executive director of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services, with the advice and counsel of the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services, shall assist in the establishment and maintenance by any state agency, or any county, township, city, village, school district, or educational service center of a fire service training program for the training of all persons in positions of any fire training certification level approved by the executive director, including full-time paid firefighters, part-time paid firefighters, volunteer firefighters, and fire safety inspectors in this state. The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the committee, shall adopt rules to regulate those firefighter and fire safety inspector training programs, and other training programs approved by the executive director. The rules may include, but need not be limited to, training curriculum, certification examinations, training schedules, minimum hours of instruction, attendance requirements, required equipment and facilities, basic physical requirements, and methods of training for all persons in positions of any fire training certification level approved by the executive director, including full-time paid firefighters, part-time paid firefighters, volunteer firefighters, and fire safety inspectors. The rules adopted to regulate training programs for volunteer firefighters shall not require more than thirty-six hours of training.

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The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the committee, shall provide for the classification and chartering of fire service training programs in accordance with rules adopted under division (B) of this section, and may take action against any chartered training program or applicant, in accordance with rules adopted under divisions (B)(4) and (5) of this section, for failure to meet standards set by the adopted rules.

(B) The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services, shall adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code that establish all of the following:

(1) Requirements for, and procedures for chartering, the training programs regulated by this section;

(2) Requirements for, and requirements and procedures for obtaining and renewing, an instructor certificate to teach the training programs and continuing education classes regulated by this section;

(3) Requirements for, and requirements and procedures for obtaining and renewing, any of the fire training certificates regulated by this section;

(4) Grounds and procedures for suspending, revoking, restricting, or refusing to issue or renew any of the certificates or charters regulated by this section, which grounds shall be limited to one of the following:

(a) Failure to satisfy the education or training requirements of this section;

(b) Conviction of a felony offense;

(c) Conviction of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;

(d) Conviction of a misdemeanor committed in the course of practice;

(e) In the case of a chartered training program or applicant, failure to meet standards set by the rules adopted under this division.

(5) Grounds and procedures for imposing and collecting fines, not to exceed one thousand dollars, in relation to actions taken under division (B)(4) of this section against persons holding certificates and charters regulated by this section, the fines to be deposited into the trauma and emergency medical services fund established under section 4513.263 of the Revised Code;

(6) Continuing education requirements for certificate holders, including a requirement that credit shall be granted for in-service training programs conducted by local entities. The continuing education requirements shall not require more than thirty-six hours of continuing education every three-year certification cycle. Local entities may require additional continuing education, provided that completion of such additional continuing education is not required for renewal of certification.

(7) Procedures for considering the granting of an extension or exemption of fire service continuing education requirements;

(8) Certification cycles for which the certificates and charters regulated by this section are valid;

(9) If determined necessary by the executive director, procedures and requirements for conducting background checks on applicants for the issuance and renewal of certification as a fire safety inspector in accordance with section 109.578 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services, shall issue or renew an instructor certificate to teach the training programs and continuing education classes regulated by this section to any applicant that the executive director determines meets the qualifications established in rules adopted under division (B) of this section, and may take disciplinary action against an instructor certificate holder or applicant in accordance with rules adopted under division (B) of this section.

(2) On and after April 6, 2023, the executive director shall not issue to any new applicant a certificate to practice as an assistant fire instructor. Any assistant fire instructor certificate that was issued in accordance with rules adopted under division (B) of this section prior to April 6, 2023, remains valid, subject to any conditions or responsibilities of retaining the validity of that certificate, until the holder of the certificate allows it to expire or lapse. The certificate may be renewed by the holder of that certificate. The executive director shall adopt, amend, or rescind rules in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code in order to effectuate division (C)(2) of this section.

(3) The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the committee, shall charter or renew the charter of any training program that the executive director determines meets the qualifications established in rules adopted under division (B) of this section, and may take disciplinary action against the holder of a charter in accordance with rules adopted under division (B) of this section.

(D) The executive director shall issue or renew a fire training certificate for a firefighter, a fire safety inspector, or another position of any fire training certification level approved by the executive director, to any applicant that the executive director determines meets the qualifications established in rules adopted under division (B) of this section and may take disciplinary actions against a certificate holder or applicant in accordance with rules adopted under division (B) of this section.

(E) Certificates issued under this section shall be on a form prescribed by the executive director, with the advice and counsel of the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services.

(F)(1) The executive director, with the advice and counsel of the firefighter and fire safety inspector training committee of the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services, shall establish criteria for evaluating the standards maintained by the branches of the United States military for firefighter, fire safety inspector, and fire instructor training programs, and other training programs recognized by the executive director, to determine whether the standards are equivalent to those established under this section and shall establish requirements and procedures for issuing a certificate to each person who presents proof to the executive director of having satisfactorily completed a training program that meets those standards.

(2) The executive director, with the committee’s advice and counsel, shall adopt rules establishing requirements and procedures for issuing a fire training certificate in lieu of completing a chartered training program.

(G) Notwithstanding any requirement for a certificate issued under this section, the executive director shall issue a certificate in accordance with Chapter 4796 of the Revised Code to an individual if either of the following applies:

(1) The individual holds a license or certificate in another state.

(2) The individual has satisfactory work experience, a government certification, or a private certification as described in that chapter as a firefighter or fire safety inspector in a state that does not issue that license or certificate.

(H) Nothing in this section invalidates any other section of the Revised Code relating to the fire training academy. Section 4765.11 of the Revised Code does not affect any powers and duties granted to the executive director under this section.

(I) Notwithstanding any provision of division (B)(4) of this section to the contrary, the executive director shall not adopt rules for refusing to issue any of the certificates or charters regulated by this section to an applicant because of a criminal conviction unless the rules establishing grounds and procedures for refusal are in accordance with section 9.79 of the Revised Code.