The State Fire Marshal, with policy guidance and advice from the State Board of Fire Services, shall:

(a)  Establish and validate recommended minimum standards for fire protection personnel and fire protection instructors at all career levels.

(b)  Develop course curricula for arson, fire technology, and apprenticeship training for use in academies, colleges, and other educational institutions.

(c)  Develop, validate, update, copyright, and maintain security over a complete series of promotional examinations based on the minimum standards established pursuant to subdivision (a).

(d)  Have the authority to make the examinations developed pursuant to subdivision (c) available to any agency of the state, to any political subdivision within the state, or to any other testing organization, as he or she deems appropriate.

(e)  Establish any fees which are necessary to implement this section. However, the State Fire Marshal shall not establish or collect any fees for training classes provided by the State Fire Marshal to fire protection personnel relating to state laws and regulation which local fire services are authorized or required to enforce.

(f)  Promote, sponsor, and administer the California Fire Academy System.

(g)  Establish procedures for seeking, accepting, and administering gifts and grants for use in implementing the intents and purposes of the California Fire and Arson Training Act.

(h)  The recommended minimum standards established pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not apply to any agency of the state or any agency of any political subdivision within the state unless that agency elects to be subject to these standards.

(Added by renumbering Section 13142.4 by Stats. 1988, Ch. 653, Sec. 2.)