(a) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall (1) maintain and operate a state fire school that shall serve as the training and education facility for the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, and (2) provide training and educational services in accordance with the standards established pursuant to section 7-323l. The use of any hazardous material, as defined in section 29-307a, except a virgin fuel, is prohibited in the simulation of any fire. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall, in consultation with the commission, fix fees for training and education programs and sessions and for such other purposes deemed necessary for the operation and support of the school. Such fees shall be used solely for training and education purposes.

(b) The department may establish and maintain a state fire school training and education extension account, which shall be a separate account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. The account shall be used for the operation of such training and education programs and sessions as said department may establish, for the purchase of such equipment as is required for use in the operation of such programs and sessions, and, within available funding, for (1) reimbursement to municipalities and municipal fire departments for one-half of the costs of Firefighter I certification and recruit training of municipal volunteer and paid fire service personnel, and (2) reimbursement to state agencies for one-half of the costs of Firefighter I certification and recruit training of state agency fire service personnel. All proceeds derived from the operation of the training and education programs and sessions shall be deposited in the General Fund and shall be credited to and become a part of the resources of the account. All direct expenses incurred in the conduct of the training, certification and education programs and sessions shall be charged, and any payments of interest and principal of bonds or any sums transferable to any fund for the payment of interest and principal of bonds and any cost of equipment for such operations may be charged, against the account on order of the State Comptroller. Any balance of receipts above expenditures shall remain in the account to be used by the department for training and education programs and sessions, and for the acquisition, as provided by section 4b-21, alteration and repairs of real property for educational facilities, except such sums as may be required to be transferred from time to time to any fund for the redemption of bonds and payment of interest on bonds, provided repairs, alterations or additions to educational facilities costing fifty thousand dollars or less shall require the approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, and capital projects costing over fifty thousand dollars shall require the approval of the General Assembly or, when the General Assembly is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee.

(c) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection may establish and maintain a state fire school auxiliary services account, which shall be a separate account within the General Fund. The account shall be used for the operation, maintenance and repair of auxiliary service facilities and for such other auxiliary activities of the state fire school as said department determines. The proceeds of such activities shall be deposited in the General Fund and shall be credited to and become a part of the resources of the account. All direct expenses of operation, maintenance and repair of facilities, food services and other auxiliary activities shall be charged, and any payments of interest and principal of bonds or any sums transferable to any fund for the payment of interest and principal of bonds and any cost of equipment for such operations may be charged, against the account on order of the State Comptroller. Any balance of receipts above expenditures shall remain in the account to be used for the improvement and extension of such activities, except such sums as may be required to be transferred from time to time to any fund for the redemption of bonds and payment of interest on bonds, provided repairs, alterations or additions to auxiliary service facilities costing fifty thousand dollars or less shall require the approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, and capital projects costing over fifty thousand dollars shall require the approval of the General Assembly or, when the General Assembly is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee. The department, with the approval of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the Finance Advisory Committee, may borrow from the resources of the General Fund at any time such sum or sums as it deems advisable, to establish or continue auxiliary services activities, such sums to be repaid in accordance with such schedule as the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall establish.

(P.A. 83-566, S. 1, 6; P.A. 84-546, S. 14, 173; P.A. 86-312, S. 1, 21; 86-373, S. 2, 3; P.A. 87-496, S. 45, 110; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 7; P.A. 11-51, S. 90, 152; P.A. 13-247, S. 200.)

History: P.A. 84-546 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 86-312 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to change training and education extension “fund” and auxiliary services “fund” to separate “accounts” within the general fund; P.A. 86-373 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit use of any hazardous material in fire simulation; P.A. 87-496 replaced administrative services commissioner with public works commissioner; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4 amended Subsec. (b) to provide the account contain any required moneys, add Subdivs. (1) and (2) re costs reimbursements and provide that expenses incurred for certification be charged to the account, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, rather than Office of State Fire Administration, to maintain and operate fire school, designating provision requiring maintenance and operation of state fire school as Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (2) re providing training and educational services, requiring department to fix fees in consultation with commission and making conforming changes, amended Subsec. (b) by requiring account to be used for operation of training and education programs, changing “education extension programs” to “education programs”, and providing that account shall be used within available funding for purposes in Subdivs. (1) and (2), amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “commission” with “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection” and adding provision re approval of Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Works” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Construction Services” in Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “Commissioner of Construction Services” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Administrative Services” in Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective July 1, 2013.