Juneau, Alaska – The Alaska House of Representatives Thursday unanimously passed a bill ensuring appropriate representation on the Alaska Fire Standards Council. The Council is currently made up of 11 members, 10 of which are appointed by the governor.

House Bill 113, sponsored by Representative Eric Feige, makes three changes to the membership of the Council. The bill designates an existing firefighter seat to a member of the Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association; adds a seat for a member of the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association; and, clarifies the representative’s qualifications from the Alaska State Firefighters Association.

“It’s imperative that the people who are involved in setting the standards for training our firefighters and emergency personnel are those that do the job every day,” Feige, R-Chickaloon, said. “Having a diverse representation on the board is important so that we hear from every point of view about how we can best improve the safety and efficiency of our fire service personnel.”

Under the legislation the governor appoints one member of each of the associations to the Council from a list of three nominees submitted by each association.

The mission of the Alaska Fire Standards Council is to establish professional standards for fire service personnel and curriculum requirements for the certification of training programs.

HB 113 now moves to the Alaska Senate for consideration.