SJ0007 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0007 LRB103 00144 MST 45149 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Recruiting & Retaining Public Employee Firefighters and Paramedics Task Force is created to identify solutions to the shortage of eligible applicants for the position of firefighter and/or paramedic and is charged with examining the following:

(1) The barriers to the recruitment and retention of public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(2) The steps that the State of Illinois can take to assist local governments to recruit and retain public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(3) What community colleges, the Illinois Fire Service Institute, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal can do to assist local governments to recruit and retain public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(4) How Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants can be utilized to recruit and retain public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(5) How paramedic licensure and testing/certification requirements affect the recruitment and retainment of public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(6) The statewide hiring provisions currently in statute as an alternative method of selecting and hiring firefighters;

(7) How apprenticeship Programs (local, regional, statewide) can be utilized to recruit and retain public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(8) How the minimum requirements to apply to an Illinois local government fire department affect the recruitment and retention of public employee firefighters and paramedics;

(9) The requirement for fire department sponsorship in order to attend an Illinois fire academy;

(10) How well the State of Illinois provides a pathway for qualified individuals to obtain the necessary skills to seek employment as a firefighter and paramedic as a public employee in the State of Illinois; and

(11) All other areas that the Task Force deems necessary to examine to assist in the recruitment and retention of public employee firefighters and paramedics; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force will be comprised of the following 19 members, who shall serve without compensation:

(1) 4 members of the Illinois General Assembly, one each appointed by the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader; the General Assembly members appointed by the Senate President and Speaker of the House shall serve as Co-Chairs;

(2) 3 members representing the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois and 3 members representing the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, all appointed by the Senate President;

(3) 3 members representing a statewide organization of municipalities as authorized by Section 1-8-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, all appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(4) 1 member representing the Northern Illinois Alliance of Fire Protection Districts and 1 member representing the Illinois Fire Service Institute, both appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(5) 1 member representing the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts and 1 member representing the Illinois Community College Systems, both appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; and

(6) 1 member representing the Office of the State Fire Marshal and 1 member representing the Illinois Department of Public Health, both appointed by the Governor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall convene at the call of the Co-Chairs and shall hold at least five meetings; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall provide administrative support for the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit its final report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than January 1, 2024, and upon the filing of its final report, the Task Force is dissolved.