- Updates the rule and a note to incorporate the current practices relating to the online form used by the Department for complaints and requests for inspections.
Subchapter IV – Adopted Standards
- SPS 330.02 – Incorporation of Standards by Reference – This section makes the following significant revisions:
- Current rule adopts several standards from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), who periodically update standards to reflect current, best practices. The current rule contains outdated versions of these standards, including some that haven’t been updated since the late 1990s. The proposed rule amends and updates the standards incorporated by reference.
- This section also repeals the NFPA standard for testing fire department aerial devices, which was discontinued by NFPA and incorporated within another standard.
- Updates the notes relating to where the standards can be accessed and purchased.
Subchapter V – Organization
- SPS 330.03 – Fire Department Health and Safety Officer – This section makes the following significant revisions:
- “Safety position” is amended to “health and safety officer” throughout the rule to reflect industry terminology.
- Clarifies that the health and safety officer is distinct from the incident safety officer, which can be held by the same person.
Subchapter VI – Training and Education
- SPS 330.07 – Training and Education – This section makes the following significant revisions:
- Repeals and recreates the current “Training and Education” section to improve readability and reflect OSHA standards and committee recommendations.
- This section includes a requirement that training and education shall be provided by a “qualified instructor”.
- Reflects an OSHA standard that training and education commensurate with the duties and functions the fire fighter is expected to perform.
- Reflects OSHA standards that require members to obtain the minimum training standard before they perform any interior structural fire fighting activity or an IDLH environment. An IDLH activity is defined in this rule and determined by the fire department’s incident safety officer in accordance with the responsibilities and authority established in s. SPS 330.14 (1) (g). - Adds an explanatory note to fire departments utilizing new members in non-IDLH environments.
- SPS 330.08 – Minimum Training Standards
- This section outlines the minimum training and education requirements for fire fighters, operators of pumper and aerial apparatus, and fire officers, makes the following significant revisions:
- Revises the current “Employment Standards” title and changes it to “Minimum training and education standards”.
- Codifies Department administration and regulatory practices relating to minimum training standards for entry-level fire fighters, operators of apparatus, and fire officers.
- Removes a requirement for fire department members engaged in structural fire fighting to obtain fire fighter training within 24 months of their appointment and requires fire department members to obtain entry-level fire fighter training before they perform activities during an emergency operation. These changes take effect 12 months after the effective date of these rules.
- Removes the requirement for pumper or aerial operators to obtain training within 12 months of their date of appointment and requires drivers of pumper or aerial apparatus to obtain entry-level operator training prior to operating apparatus during an emergency operation. These changes take effect 12 months after the effective date of these rules.
- Removes the requirement for a newly appointed fire officer to take the basic officer training program within 12 months of appointment and requires fire departments to provide training to fire officers prior to acting as an officer during an emergency operation. These changes take effect 12 months after the effective date of these rules and do not apply to fire officers appointed prior to the effective date of this rule.
- Codifies a federal requirement for fire officers to obtain NIMS training when acting as an officer during an emergency operation.
- Removes a provision relating to written documentation for training by fire department members and transferability of certifications to other fire departments.
Subchapter VII – Apparatus and Equipment
- SPS 330.09 – Apparatus
- Several provisions are amended for increased readability and clarity. This section makes the following significant revisions:
- Revises the term “fire vehicle” to “fire apparatus” to reflect industry terminology.
- Amends provisions to reflect NFPA and OSHA standards.
- Clarifies the requirement for helmets when personnel are seated in an open cab.
- Eliminates the manufactured date of “April 1, 1991” relating to fire apparatus.
- Specifies requirements relating to preventative maintenance programs.
- Revises inspection requirements from weekly to monthly for fire apparatus and equipment while retaining the requirement for inspection within 24 hours after use.
- Creates an exception from NFPA standards that require the automatic replacement of apparatus tires every 7 years. The proposed rule allows replacement when inspection of the tire shows signs of damage or wear or tread exceeds manufacturer standards.
- Amends a provision to alleviate confusion by removing the term “directly responsible” relating to a driver of a fire apparatus and rephrases the provision to require drivers to operate in a safe and prudent manner in all conditions. The same term is removed in a provision that states a supervising fire officer is “directly responsible” for the actions of the driver of a fire apparatus. Nothing in the proposed rule prohibits a fire department from developing internal policies and assigning “direct responsibility”.
- Repeals a provision relating to “emergency medical specialists”. This term is outdated. Further, DSPS does not regulate emergency medical personnel. The Department of Health Services regulates emergency medical personnel and ambulance apparatus pursuant to ch. 256, Stats. - SPS 330.10 – Portable Equipment
- This section relates to portable equipment, including the inspection of equipment and requirements for life safety rope and makes the following significant revisions:
- Revises inspection requirements from weekly to monthly for equipment carried on fire apparatus while maintaining the requirement for inspection within 24 hours after use.
- Amends a reference under ch. SPS 332 relating to a NFPA standard and revises it to ch. SPS 330. - Repeals a note referencing ch. SPS 314 relating to the inspection and testing of fire extinguishers and incorporates the reference within the rule. - Moves the requirements for life safety rope from section 330.13 to section 330.10 and makes the following revisions:
- Eliminates a requirement to use unused life safety rope for certain operations.
- Eliminates a requirement to destroy training rope after use or showing signs of wear.
- Creates a provision that allows for the reuse of life safety rope under certain conditions.
- Creates an exception from the annual recertification requirements for unused life safety rope, harnesses, and hardware.
Subchapter VIII – Protective Clothing and Equipment
- SPS 330.11 – Protective Clothing and Equipment
This section relates to the minimum standards for personal protective clothing and equipment and does the following:
- Repeals and recreates the current “Protective clothing and equipment” section to improve readability and reflect OSHA standards.
- Incorporates OSHA language and amends for format and readability.
- Renumbers s. 330.13 (3) to 330.11 (2), “Eye, Face, and Hearing Protection”, in order to incorporate all protective equipment provisions under the same subchapter. - SPS 330.12 – Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
- This section relates to the OSHA-required Respiratory Protection program and makes the following significant revisions:
- Incorporates an OSHA requirement that fire departments must ensure that all fire fighters use SCBA when engaged in interior structural fire fighting or entering a hazardous atmosphere.
- Adds “quantitative” fit testing as an alternative method to “qualitative” fit testing for checking effectiveness of the seal of the SCBA facepiece.
- Clarifies that fit testing needs to be repeated in the event a fire fighter has a change in facial structure that could affect the seal of the facepiece, in accordance with OSHA standards.
- Section SPS 330.12 (2) is repealed and recreated to improve readability.
- Section SPS 330.12 (6) (a) is amended to include the option to use a portable radio for a means of continuous communication. - SPS 330.13 – Personal alert safety system (PASS)
- This section relates to the standards for PASS devices and makes the following significant revisions:
- Moves the Life Safety Ropes, Harness, and Hardware section and under the portable equipment section.
- Moves the Eye, Face, and Hearing section and under the protective equipment section.
- Amends certain provisions for clarity and readability.
Subchapter IX – Emergency Operations
- SPS 330.14 – Emergency operations
- This section relates to the incident management, safety, and requirements for rescuing firefighters at emergency operations and makes the following significant revisions:
- Revises the term “incident command system” to “incident management system” to reflect industry terminology.
- Deletes and recreates a note relating to the source for NIMS training information.
- Revises the term “office in charge” to “incident commander” to reflect industry terminology and specifies the responsibility and authority to ensure overall safety at the scene of an emergency operation.
- Revises the term “qualified personnel” to an “incident safety officer” and requires the incident commander to assign an incident safety officer with specific responsibilities and authority.
- Revises a note relating to the source for high-visibility safety apparel information.
Subchapter XI – Medical
- 330.15 – Physical and medical capabilities
- Removes a note determined to be redundant, which states that the intent of this chapter is not to require annual physicals for fire fighters. The current rule does not include that requirement.
