Law Establishes New Qualifications for Fire Chiefs

The following is a re-post of an article by Julie Tappendorf from The Municipal Minute, an Ancel Glink local government blog that she edits...

P.A. 100-0425 was recently enacted to add new qualification requirements for candidates for appointment to the position of fire chief. The new law applies to municipalities that employ firefighters under either the Civil Service Act or the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Act and also applies to fire districts.

The new law prohibits the appointment of a person to the position of fire chief for a period greater than 6 months unless that person possesses the following qualifications and certifications:

1. Office of the State Fire Marshal Firefighter Basic Certification or Firefighter II Certification; Fire Officer I and II Certifications; and an associate degree in fire science or a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college; or

2. A minimum of 10 years' experience as a firefighter at the fire department making the appointment.