58-78-1. State Fire and Rescue Commission created; membership.

(a) There is created the State Fire and Rescue Commission of the Department, which shall be composed of 15 voting members to be appointed as follows:

(1) The Commissioner shall appoint 12 members, two from nominations submitted by the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association, one from nominations submitted by the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, one from nominations submitted by the Professional Firefighters of North Carolina Association, one from nominations submitted by the North Carolina Society of Fire Service Instructors, one from nominations submitted by the North Carolina Fire Marshal's Association, two from nominations submitted by the North Carolina Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, Inc., one from nominations submitted by the North Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, one mayor or other elected city official nominated by the President of the League of Municipalities, one county commissioner nominated by the President of the Association of County Commissioners, and one from the public at-large.

(2) The Governor shall appoint one member from the public at large.

(3) The General Assembly shall appoint two members from the public at large, one upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to G.S. 120-121, and one upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate pursuant to G.S. 120-121.

Public members may not be employed in State government.

(b) Of the members initially appointed by the Commissioner, the nominees of the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association and the nominees of the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs and the nominees of the Professional Firefighters of North Carolina Association and of the North Carolina Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, Inc., shall serve three-year terms; the nominees from the North Carolina Society of Fire Service Instructors, the North Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators and the North Carolina Fire Marshal's Association shall serve two-year terms; and the mayor or other elected city official, the county commissioner, and the member from the public at large shall serve one-year terms. The Governor's initial appointee shall serve a three-year term. The General Assembly's initial appointees shall serve two-year terms. Thereafter all terms shall be for three years.

(c) Vacancies shall be filled by the original appointer in the same manner as the original appointment was made, except that vacancies in the appointments made by the General Assembly shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122.

(d) Appointed members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified.

(e) The following State officials, or their designees, shall serve by virtue of their offices as nonvoting members of the Commission: the Commissioner of Insurance, the Commissioner of Labor, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Public Safety, the Secretary of Environmental Quality, and the President of the Department of Community Colleges.

(f) Members of the Commission shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence allowances in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-5 or G.S. 138-6, as appropriate.