19-5119. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL — STANDARDS OF TRAINING, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS — CERTIFICATION — PENALTIES. (1) The council shall have the duty and the power to:

(a) Establish the requirements of minimum basic training for all emergency communications officers, in order to be eligible for permanent employment as an emergency communications officer, that can be completed within eighteen (18) months of employment as an emergency communications officer;

(b) Establish such basic training and certification, to include alternative authorized council training, so that certification can be attained within eighteen (18) months of employment as an emergency communications officer;

(c) Establish the requirements of minimum training standards for employment as an emergency communications officer in probationary, temporary, part-time and emergency situations;

(d) Certify emergency communications officers as having completed all requirements established by the council to be eligible for permanent employment as an emergency communications officer; and

(e) Maintain permanent files and transcripts for all emergency communications officers certified by the council, to include only courses or advanced courses of instruction successfully completed by such emergency communications officers and specifically required to obtain and maintain emergency communications officer certification while employed in this state. Such information shall be made available by the council to any employer upon the receipt of a signed waiver from the emergency communications officer to release such files and transcripts.

(2) The council shall, upon recommendation of the Idaho public safety communications commission and pursuant to the requirements of this section, establish minimum basic training and certification standards for all emergency communications officers whose primary responsibility is to receive and dispatch calls for emergency services in the state of Idaho, and that can be completed within eighteen (18) months of employment.

(3) The council shall decertify any emergency communications officer convicted of any felony or offense that would be a felony if committed in this state. The council may decertify any emergency communications officer who:

(a) Is convicted of a misdemeanor;

(b) Willfully or otherwise falsifies or omits any information to obtain any certified status; or

(c) Violates any of the standards of conduct as established by the council’s code of ethics, as adopted and amended by the council.

All decertification proceedings taken by the council shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

(4) Any emergency communications officers who begin employment after July 1, 2017, shall be trained and certified within eighteen (18) months of employment. Current emergency communications officers who began employment between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2017, shall comply with the training and certification provisions of this section by January 1, 2019. Current emergency communications officers who began employment prior to July 1, 2012, may comply with the training and certification provisions of this section at the discretion of their employers.

History:

[19-5119, added 2017, ch. 181, sec. 3, p. 413.]