ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING COVID-19 AND FIREFIGHTER TRAINING
FROM THE MISSISSIPPI FIRE PERSONNEL MINIMUM STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION BOARD
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Mississippi State Fire Academy’s resulting cancellation of instruction, the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board (hereby called “the Board”) voted on March 25, 2020, to toll running of the time limitation in statute 45-11-203. This statute addresses the one-year time limit for firefighters to obtain their minimum standards training. This vote effectively “erases” the period of time between March 25, 2020 and the date that the Mississippi State Fire Academy deems it safe and appropriate to once again begin NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II instruction. The time period between those two dates will not count against the one-year deadline for firefighters who were unable to obtain the required training during that time, due to the Fire Academy’s course cancellations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board’s vote was made pursuant to authority resulting from the Governor’s declaration of a State of Emergency issued on March 14, and in conjunction with Mississippi Code § 33-15-11, which addresses gubernatorial powers in a declared emergency. If you have any questions about this announcement, please email Lynn Tyler at ltyler@msfa.ms.gov.
