Section 129856.

(a) Contingent on an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the office shall establish a program for training fire and life safety officers. The goal of this program shall be to provide a sufficient number of qualified persons to facilitate the timely performance of the office's duties and responsibilities relating to the review of plans and specifications pertaining to the design and observation of construction of hospital buildings and buildings described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 129725, in order to ensure compliance with applicable facility design and construction codes and standards.

(b) The office shall prepare a comprehensive report on the training program setting forth its goals, objectives, and structure. The report shall include the number of fire and life safety officers to be trained annually, a timeline for training completion, a process for gathering information to evaluate the training programs efficiency that includes dropout and retention rates, and a mechanism to annually assess the need for the training program to continue. The report shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by April 1, 2007.

(c) The office may establish other training programs as necessary to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified persons are available to facilitate the timely performance of the office's duties and responsibilities relating to the review of plans and specifications pertaining to the design and construction of hospital buildings and buildings described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 129725, to ensure compliance with applicable safety codes and standards.

(d) If additional training programs are established pursuant to subdivision (c), the office shall prepare a comprehensive report on the training program setting forth its goals, objectives, and structure. The report shall include the number of individuals trained pursuant to subdivision (c) annually, a timeline for training completion, a process for gathering information to evaluate the training programs efficiency that includes dropout and retention rates, and a mechanism to annually assess the need for the training program to continue. The report shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee three years after the training program has been implemented.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 693, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)