HB 629

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to firesafety inspections; amending s.
3633.081, F.S.; providing exceptions to certain local
4government firesafety inspection requirements; amending s.
5633.082, F.S.; specifying inspection requirements for fire
6hydrants owned by governmental entities; authorizing local
7government utilities to comply using designated employees;
8specifying responsibility for ensuring the qualification
9of designated employees to make inspections; providing an
10effective date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 633.081,
15Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
16     633.081  Inspection of buildings and equipment; orders;
17firesafety inspection training requirements; certification;
18disciplinary action.-The State Fire Marshal and her or his
19agents shall, at any reasonable hour, when the department has
20reasonable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter or
21s. 509.215, or a rule promulgated thereunder, or a minimum
22firesafety code adopted by a local authority, may exist, inspect
23any and all buildings and structures which are subject to the
24requirements of this chapter or s. 509.215 and rules promulgated
25thereunder. The authority to inspect shall extend to all
26equipment, vehicles, and chemicals which are located within the
27premises of any such building or structure.
28     (1)  Each county, municipality, and special district that
29has firesafety enforcement responsibilities shall employ or
30contract with a firesafety inspector. Except as provided in s.
31633.082(2), the firesafety inspector must conduct all firesafety
32inspections that are required by law. The governing body of a
33county, municipality, or special district that has firesafety
34enforcement responsibilities may provide a schedule of fees to
35pay only the costs of inspections conducted pursuant to this
36subsection and related administrative expenses. Two or more
37counties, municipalities, or special districts that have
38firesafety enforcement responsibilities may jointly employ or
39contract with a firesafety inspector.
40     (2)  Except as provided in s. 633.082(2), every firesafety
41inspection conducted pursuant to state or local firesafety
42requirements shall be by a person certified as having met the
43inspection training requirements set by the State Fire Marshal.
44Such person shall:
45     (a)  Be a high school graduate or the equivalent as
46determined by the department;
47     (b)  Not have been found guilty of, or having pleaded
48guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony or a crime punishable by
49imprisonment of 1 year or more under the law of the United
50States, or of any state thereof, which involves moral turpitude,
51without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been
52entered by the court having jurisdiction of such cases;
53     (c)  Have her or his fingerprints on file with the
54department or with an agency designated by the department;
55     (d)  Have good moral character as determined by the
56department;
57     (e)  Be at least 18 years of age;
58     (f)  Have satisfactorily completed the firesafety inspector
59certification examination as prescribed by the department; and
60     (g)1.  Have satisfactorily completed, as determined by the
61department, a firesafety inspector training program of not less
62than 200 hours established by the department and administered by
63agencies and institutions approved by the department for the
64purpose of providing basic certification training for firesafety
65inspectors; or
66     2.  Have received in another state training which is
67determined by the department to be at least equivalent to that
68required by the department for approved firesafety inspector
69education and training programs in this state.
70     Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 633.082, Florida
71Statutes, is amended to read:
72     633.082  Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydrants,
73and fire protection systems.-
74     (2)  Fire hydrants and fire protection systems installed in
75public and private properties, except one-family or two-family
76dwellings, in this state shall be inspected following procedures
77established in the nationally recognized inspection, testing,
78and maintenance standards publications NFPA-24 and NFPA-25 as
79set forth in the edition adopted by the State Fire Marshal.
80Quarterly, annual, 3-year, and 5-year inspections consistent
81with the contractual provisions with the owner shall be
82conducted by the certificateholder or permittees employed by the
83certificateholder pursuant to s. 633.521, except that:
84     (a)  Public fire hydrants owned by a governmental entity
85shall be inspected following procedures established in the
86inspection, testing, and maintenance standards adopted by the
87State Fire Marshal or equivalent standards such as those
88contained in the latest edition of the American Water Works
89Association's Manual M17, "Installation, Field Testing, and
90Maintenance of Fire Hydrants."
91     (b)  County, municipal, and special district utilities may
92perform fire hydrant inspections required by this section using
93designated employees. Such designated employees need not be
94certified under this chapter. However, counties, municipalities,
95or special districts that use designated employees are
96responsible for ensuring that the designated employees are
97qualified to perform such inspections.
98     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.