                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF VIRGINIA FIRE SERVICES BOARD; LIMITATION (§ 9.1-203)

A. The Board shall have the responsibility for promoting the coordination of the
efforts of fire service organizations at the state and local levels. To these
ends, it shall have the following powers and duties to:

   1. Ensure the development and implementation of the Virginia Fire Prevention
   and Control Plan;

   2. Review and approve a five-year statewide plan for fire education and
   training;

   3. Approve the criteria for and disbursement of any grant funds received from
   the federal government and any agencies thereof and any other source and to
   disburse such funds in accordance therewith;

   4. Provide technical assistance and advice to local fire departments, other
   fire services organizations, and local governments through Fire and Emergency
   Medical Services studies done in conjunction with the Department of Fire
   Programs;

   5. Advise the Department of Fire Programs on and adopt personnel standards for
   fire services personnel;

   6. Advise the Department of Fire Programs on the Commonwealth&#8217;s
   statewide plan for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data relating to
   fires in the Commonwealth;

   7. Make recommendations to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland
   Security concerning legislation affecting fire prevention and protection and
   fire services organizations in Virginia;

   8. Evaluate all fire prevention and protection programs and make any
   recommendations deemed necessary to improve the level of fire prevention and
   protection in the Commonwealth;

   9. Advise the Department of Fire Programs on the Statewide Fire Prevention
   Code;

   10. Investigate alternative means of financial support for volunteer fire
   departments and advise jurisdictions regarding the implementation of such
   alternatives; and

   11. Develop a modular training program for volunteer firefighters for adoption
   by local volunteer fire departments that shall include (i) Fire Fighter I and
   Fire Fighter II certification pursuant to standards developed by the National
   Fire Protection Association and (ii) an online training program.

B. Except for those policies established in &#xA7; 38.2-401, compliance with the
provisions of &#xA7; 9.1-201 and this section and any policies or guidelines
enacted pursuant thereto shall be optional with, and at the full discretion of,
any local governing body and any volunteer fire department or volunteer fire
departments operating under the same corporate charters.

HISTORY: 1978, c. 606, § 9-155; 1981, c. 154; 1984, c. 734; 1986, c. 60; 1988,
c. 133; 1997, c. 791; 2001, c. 844; 2012, cc. 164, 456; 2014, cc. 115, 490;
2018, c. 403.