69A-21.113. Required Continuing Education

(1) Licenseholders and permitholders shall complete a continuing education course or combination of courses in compliance with Section 633.304, F.S., for each permit held.

(2) The continuing education course or combination of courses shall be related to the scope of each license and each permit held. All licensed fire equipment dealers are required to complete at least, one hour of a business practices class, one hour of a workers’ compensation class, and fourteen hours of technical content as part of the required continuing education for license renewal each two year period, except that a licensee who receives an initial license issued for 1 year or less shall be required to complete 50 percent of the required hours for a biennial license. All permitted fire equipment permittees are required to complete at least one hour of a workplace safety class, one hour of a business practices class and fourteen hours of technical content as part of the required continuing education for permit renewal each two year period, except that a permittee who receives an initial permit issued for 1 year or less shall be required to complete 50 percent of the required hours for a biennial permit. All current licenseholders and permitholders, regardless of any previous continuing education due date, must provide proof of sixteen hours of continuing education for renewal on December 31, 2011 and every two year period thereafter.

(3) The course or combination of courses shall be conducted by persons approved by the Regulatory Licensing Section. Approval of such persons shall be based on the person’s training, experience, and expertise in the subject of the course. The instructor must be qualified, by education or experience, to teach the course, or parts of a course to which the instructor is assigned. Any person with a four year college or graduate degree is qualified to teach any course in their field of study. Any equipment manufacturer or state certified fire equipment dealer with at least five years’ experience may teach any technical course within the scope of the dealer’s license; however, no dealer whose license is suspended or revoked as a result of administrative action shall teach any course or serve as a continuing education course instructor. The Regulatory Licensing Section is not permitted to reject a course based upon the proposed instructor, but is permitted to approve a course contingent on certification that all instructors meet those minimum requirements before conducting the course and before advertising that the course is approved for continuing education credit.

(4) The course or combination of courses shall be approved in advance by the Regulatory Licensing Section. The number of contact hours assigned to any course shall be determined by the Regulatory Licensing Section based on course content and length.

(5) Requests for approval of a course shall be submitted on Form DFS-K3-394, Revised 03/00 “Request for Approval of Fire Equipment Continuing Education Course Work” as adopted and incorporated herein by reference. Forms are available from and submission shall be sent to: Regulatory Licensing Section, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0342. The application shall include the total number of classroom or interactive distance learning hours, the course syllabus, a detailed outline of the contents of the course, and the name and qualifications of all instructors. The Regulatory Licensing Section shall approve each continuing education course which appropriately relates to the technical skills required of fire equipment licensees and permittees and contain sufficient educational content to improve the quality of the licensee’s or permittee’s performance and are taught by qualified instructors. Continuing education coursework approval is valid for two years from the date of issue, provided no substantial change is made in the approved course. The number of classroom hours must be devoted to course content and does not include registration periods, meals and keynote speakers or any similar nonsubstantive time periods.

(6) The Regulatory Licensing Section shall approve continuing education courses in compliance with the time limitations specified for licensing in Chapter 120, F.S. Such approval shall be based upon the submission of coursework which relates to the technical fire protection skills of fire equipment dealers and permittees which contain educational content to improve the quality of work being performed.

(7) Each approved course will be assigned a course number and the course will be identified by course title as submitted and the number of continuing education hours awarded. The course provider shall use the course number in the course syllabus, in all other course materials used in connection with the course, and in all written advertising materials used in connection with the course. A listing of approved courses will be available from the Regulatory License Section, the course list will include the course number, the course title, the course submitter, and the type course (portable or preengineered systems).

(8) Within 30 days of the conclusion of each approved course, the organization or person offering the course shall inform the Regulatory Licensing Section that the course was completed and shall supply the Regulatory Licensing Section with a sign in sheet or roster. The sign-in sheet or roster shall identify:

(a) The course name;

(b) The course number;

(c) The course provider;

(d) The date the course was offered;

(e) The duration of the course;

(f) The licensee’s or permittee’s name;

(g) The license or permit number; and

(h) The licensee’s or permittee’s signature.

For interactive distance learning courses, in lieu of the original sign-in sheet required above, the course provider shall maintain and provide a records of the registration log-in, course access log, and course completion, which shall contain the information required above. In lieu of providing a document bearing the licensee’s or permittee’s signature, the course provider shall provide the licensee’s or permittee’s identity verification data which shall include the licensee’s or permittee’s password and the licensee’s or permittee’s mother’s maiden name.

(9) Each person who completes an approved course shall be issued a certificate of completion by the course provider. The certificate of completion shall contain the name of the person who completed the course, the course provider’s name, the course name as approved by the Regulatory Licensing Section, the course number, the date the course was taken, and the number of continuing education hours awarded for the course as approved for the course by the Regulatory Licensing Section. The course provider shall maintain a list of the names and license or permit numbers of each person who completes each course conducted by the course provider for four years from the date of the course.

(10) Each licenseholder or permitholder is responsible for attending the appropriate course or courses and for maintaining proof of completion of the course or courses. The Bureau will not accept any proof of completion except that submitted in accordance with subsection (11), below.

(11) The licenseholder or permitholder shall submit proof of completion of the required course or courses to the Regulatory Licensing Section on Form DFS-K3-393, http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-00412 “Fire Equipment Continuing Education Coursework,” amended July 2011, adopted and incorporated herein by reference. Form DFS-K3-393 may be obtained by writing Bureau of Fire Prevention, Regulatory Licensing Section, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0342. Each licenseholder or permitholder will be notified by the Regulatory Licensing Section, in writing, if the continuing education course work submitted does not satisfy the continuing education requirement in Section 633.304(4)(b), F.S. No notification will be given over the telephone.

(12) Any licenseholder or permitholder who does not complete the continuing education requirements of Section 633.304, F.S., shall not have his or her license or permit renewed. If the license or permit is not renewed, the former licenseholder or permitholder shall perform no work for which a license or permit is required. A former licenseholder or permitholder wishing to become licensed again shall meet the requirements of Section 633.304, F.S.

Rulemaking Authority 633.104, 633.304(4) FS. Law Implemented 633.304 FS. History–New 2-7-89, Amended 10-20-93, 11-21-01, Formerly 4A-21.113, Amended 8-11-11.