Section 292.40  Loan Application Review Committee

The State Fire Marshal shall appoint a Loan Application Review Committee to determine, based on equipment needs, financial need, and how recently the applicant has received a previous loan under this program, which eligible applications shall be recommended to the Authority to receive a loan under this program for the purchase of an ambulance.

a)         The Committee shall consist of the following nine members, who shall also serve as the Application Review Committee for the Fire Truck Revolving Loan program:

1)         The State Fire Marshal, as chair;

2)         Three Fire Chiefs (one each from a volunteer department, a combination department and a career/municipal fire department);

3)         One representative from the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois;

4)         Two representatives from the Illinois banking community (one from the Community Bankers Association of Illinois and one from the Illinois Bankers Association), one of whom will serve as vice chair of the Committee for a period of one year, after which the vice chair position will rotate to the other banking community representative;

5)         One member who is a volunteer firefighter; and

6)         One member from the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts.

b)         Members shall serve without salary, but may receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses from the OSFM from appropriations for such purposes.

c)         All members shall have one vote, except for the State Fire Marshal, who shall only vote to break a tie.

d)         Members shall serve a term of four years.  Members shall be appointed for initial terms as follows:  two members shall serve terms of one year; two members shall serve terms of two years; two members shall serve terms of three years; and two members shall serve terms of four years.  The allocation of initial terms shall be determined by a random drawing.

e)         At the expiration of their initial terms of office, the members or their successors shall be appointed for terms of four years each. Upon the expiration of a member's term of office, the State Fire Marshal shall reappoint that member, or appoint a successor who is a representative of the same interests with which his or her predecessor was identified.

f)          The State Fire Marshal may, at any time, remove any of the respective appointees for inefficiency or neglect of duty in office.  In such instances, the State Fire Marshal shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by appointing a member who is a representative of the same interests with which his or her predecessor was identified.  Upon the death or incapacity of a member, the State Fire Marshal shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by appointing a member who is a representative of the same interests with which his or her predecessor was identified.

g)         Appointments shall be made to geographically represent the State.

h)         As determined by the State Fire Marshal, the Committee shall meet and organize within 10 days after the appointment of its members and, at that meeting, shall elect one Secretary of the Committee to serve a term to be fixed by the committee at that meeting.

i)          Regular meetings of the Committee shall occur once in each quarter, or as often as deemed necessary by the State Fire Marshal, at a date, time and place to be fixed by the Committee (or by the State Fire Marshal, should he or she call for the meeting) and at such additional times as the Committee deems necessary, for the consideration of loan applications, reviews, appeals and the transaction of any other business as properly may come before it.

j)          A quorum shall be a majority of the appointed positions that have been filled by appointment. Unfilled positions shall not be counted.