STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8074
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 15, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. RHOADS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law and the executive law, in
relation to battery storage fire training for firefighters
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 209-w of the general municipal
2 law, as amended by section 10 of part A of chapter 101 of the laws of
3 2013, is amended to read as follows:
4 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special, or local
5 law or charter to the contrary, no person shall, after the effective
6 date of regulations adopted by the state fire administrator pursuant to
7 section one hundred fifty-eight of the executive law, receive an
8 original appointment on a permanent basis as a fire fighter of any coun-
9 ty, city, town, village, or fire district unless such person has previ-
10 ously been awarded a certificate by the state fire administrator attest-
11 ing to [his or her] such person's satisfactory completion of an approved
12 fire basic training program and an approved battery storage fire train-
13 ing program; and every person who is appointed on a temporary basis or
14 for a probationary term or on other than a permanent basis as a fire
15 fighter of any county, city, town, village or fire district shall
16 forfeit [his or her] such person's position as such unless [he or she]
17 such person previously has satisfactorily completed, or within the time
18 prescribed by regulations promulgated by the state fire administrator
19 pursuant to section one hundred fifty-eight of the executive law, satis-
20 factorily completes, a fire basic training program and an approved
21 battery storage fire training program for temporary or probationary fire
22 fighters and is awarded a certificate by the state fire administrator
23 attesting thereto.
24 § 2. Section 158 of the executive law, as added by section 28 of part
25 B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11738-01-5
S. 8074 2
1 § 158. Firefighting training. 1. For the purpose of this section, the
2 term fire fighter shall mean a member of a fire department whose duties
3 include fire service as defined in paragraph d of subdivision eleven of
4 section three hundred two of the retirement and social security law.
5 2. In addition to the functions, powers and duties otherwise provided
6 by this article, the state fire administrator may promulgate rules and
7 regulations with respect to:
8 (a) The approval, or revocation thereof, of fire training programs and
9 battery storage fire training programs for fire fighters;
10 (b) Minimum courses of study, attendance requirements, and equipment
11 and facilities to be required for approved fire training programs and
12 battery storage fire training programs for fire fighters;
13 (c) Minimum qualifications for instructors for approved fire training
14 programs and battery storage fire training programs for fire fighters;
15 (d) The requirements of minimum basic training which fire fighters
16 appointed to probationary terms shall complete before being eligible for
17 permanent appointment, and the time within which such basic training
18 must be completed following such appointment to a probationary term;
19 (e) The requirements of minimum basic training which fire fighters not
20 appointed for probationary terms but appointed on other than a permanent
21 basis shall complete in order to be eligible for continued employment or
22 permanent appointment, and the time within which such basic training
23 must be completed following such appointment on a non-permanent basis;
24 (f) The requirements for in-service training programs designed to
25 assist fire fighters in maintaining skills and being informed of techno-
26 logical advances;
27 (g) Categories or classifications of advanced in-service training
28 programs and minimum courses of study and attendance requirements with
29 respect to such categories or classifications;
30 (h) Exemptions from particular provisions of this article in the case
31 of any county, city, town, village or fire district, if in the opinion
32 of the state fire administrator the standards of fire training estab-
33 lished and maintained by such county, city, town, village or fire
34 district are equal to or higher than those established pursuant to this
35 article; or revocation in whole or in part of such exemption, if in [his
36 or her] such state fire administrator's opinion the standards of fire
37 training established and maintained by such county, city, town, village
38 or fire district are lower than those established pursuant to this arti-
39 cle; and
40 (i) Education, health and physical fitness requirements for eligibil-
41 ity of persons for provisional or permanent appointment in the compet-
42 itive class of the civil service as fire fighters as it deems necessary
43 and proper for the efficient performance of such duties;
44 3. In furtherance of [his or her] the state fire administrator's func-
45 tions, powers and duties as set forth in this section, [the] such
46 state fire administrator may:
47 (a) Recommend studies, surveys and reports to be made by the state
48 fire administrator regarding the carrying out of the objectives and
49 purposes of this section;
50 (b) Visit and inspect any fire training programs approved by the state
51 fire administrator or for which application for such approval has been
52 made; and
53 (c) Recommend standards for promotion to supervisory positions.
54 4. In addition to the functions, powers and duties otherwise provided
55 by this section, the state fire administrator shall:
S. 8074 3
1 (a) Approve fire training programs and battery storage fire training
2 programs for fire fighters and issue certificates of approval to such
3 programs, and revoke such approval or certificate;
4 (b) Certify, as qualified, instructors for approved fire training
5 programs and battery storage fire training programs for fire fighters
6 and issue appropriate certificates to such instructors;
7 (c) Certify fire fighters who have satisfactorily completed basic
8 training programs and in-service training programs, and issue appropri-
9 ate certificates to such fire fighters and revoke such certificates;
10 (d) Cause studies and surveys to be made relating to the establish-
11 ment, operation, effectiveness and approval of fire training and battery
12 storage fire training programs;
13 (e) Cause studies and surveys to be made relating to the completion or
14 partial completion of training programs by video or computer to the
15 maximum extent practicable; and
16 (f) Consult with and cooperate with the state university of New York
17 and private universities, colleges and institutes in the state for the
18 development of specialized courses of study for fire fighters in fire
19 science and fire administration.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
21 it shall have become a law.
