Tennessee § 68-102-154 - Volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program.

§ 68-102-154. Volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program.

A program, known as the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program, is created to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment or to meet local match requirements of federal grants for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training. It is the legislative intent to fund the program by providing a sum-sufficient appropriation in each fiscal year's annual appropriation bill. The commissioner of commerce and insurance shall promulgate rules in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to establish guidelines for evaluating grant requests and determining which volunteer fire departments will receive grants. The commissioner of commerce and insurance shall decide which grants to award and disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments. The total amount of grants awarded each year must be equally divided among the three (3) grand divisions of the state. The commissioner shall endeavor to expend all funds appropriated to the program each year, and any funds remaining will not revert to the general fund but remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. As used in this section: “Firefighting equipment” means the equipment used by a firefighter to contain or extinguish fires and to protect the life of the firefighter, other than fire trucks or vehicles; and “Volunteer fire department” means a fire department recognized by the state fire marshal's office, pursuant to § 68-102-304, and classified by the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS) as a volunteer fire department. Acts 2019, ch. 497, § 1. Effective Dates. Acts 2019, ch. 497, § 2. January 1, 2020; provided that for the purpose of promulgating rules, the act took effect May 24, 2019. Cross-References. Grand divisions, title 4, ch. 1, part 2.