Section 141.15  Definitions

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms have the meanings ascribed in this Section:

"Accredit" means to supply with credentials or authority or authorize or certify as meeting a prescribed standard.

"Accreditation" means the act of accrediting or the state of being accredited, especially the granting of approval to an institution of learning by an official review board after the school has met specific requirements.

"Act" means the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act [50 ILCS 740].

"Application for Certification/Validation-Attestation" means the official document submitted to the Office, signed by the employing Fire Chief and qualified instructor, verifying successful completion of a series of prerequisites as required by this Part.

"Certification" means the official documentation awarded by the Office to eligible firefighters/allied field agency personnel after successful completion of a series of assigned tasks, both cognitive and psychomotor.  This certificate is the award for the completion of tasks, such as a school diploma, and, as such, remains in the possession of the individual.

"Division" means the Office's Division of Personnel Standards and Education.

"Fire Brigade" means an entity, privately owned, possessing those resources necessary for fire suppression in its own premises.

"Fire Department" or "Department" means an entity, public or private, possessing those resources necessary for fire administration, fire prevention, fire suppression, fire education and arson investigation.

"Fire Protection Personnel" and "Firefighter" mean any person engaged in fire administration, fire prevention, fire suppression, fire education and arson investigation, including any permanently employed trainee or volunteer firefighter, whether or not such person, trainee or volunteer is compensated for all or any fraction of his/her time. (Section 2 of the Act)

"Fire Service Experience" means fire suppression training, fire administration, fire investigation or fire prevention experience in a fire department, including executive support.

"Fire Service Organizations" means the organizations listed in Section 141.308(e)(4)(C).

"Member" means an individual engaged by a fire department or fire brigade to carry out assigned duties, whether or not that person is compensated for all or any fraction of his/her time.

"NFPA" means National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy MA 02269; pamphlet or standard number will appear after the abbreviation and the edition will appear in parentheses. 

"Office" means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

"Request for Examination Form" means the form provided by the Office that a fire department or school will complete and send to the Office requesting the Office to schedule a date for an examination.

"School" means any school located within the State of Illinois, whether privately or publicly owned, that offers a course in fire protection training or related subjects and that the Office has approved.

"Standards" means the applicable NFPA standard.

"Student Performance Objectives" means the course objectives that have been established and implemented by the Office.

"Trainee" means a recruit firefighter required to complete initial minimum basic training at an approved training facility to be eligible for permanent employment as a firefighter.

"Training Facility" means an organization, institution, fire department, school, college or other entity certified by the Office, under Section 141.100 or 141.110, to provide the training of fire protection personnel required by this Part.