(a)    (1)    Subject to Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the Criminal Procedure Article, a fire department or rescue squad of the State or a political subdivision of the State, a volunteer fire company or rescue squad, or an ambulance service licensed under § 13-515 of the Education Article may request the State Fire Marshal or other authorized agency that has access to the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to conduct an initial criminal history records check on an applicant for employment or appointment as a volunteer or career firefighter, rescue squad member, or paramedic.

(2)    The request shall be made on the form required by the State Fire Marshal.

(b)    (1)    An applicant for employment or appointment as a volunteer or career firefighter, rescue squad member, or paramedic shall provide a classifiable set of fingerprints in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection:

(i)    for submission to the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository for a criminal history records check; and

(ii)    for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check.

(2)    The applicant shall provide the fingerprints on a form approved by the Director of the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository.

(3)    (i)    On request of the State Fire Marshal or an appropriate authority designated by rule of the State Fire Marshal, the applicant shall provide the fingerprints to the State Fire Marshal or the designated authority.

(ii)    In a jurisdiction that has designated an assistant State fire marshal, on request of the assistant State fire marshal an applicant in the jurisdiction shall provide the fingerprints to the assistant State fire marshal.

(c)    A fire department or rescue squad operated by the State or a political subdivision of the State or a volunteer fire company or rescue squad may obtain conviction and arrest records produced by a criminal history records check based on a classifiable set of fingerprints.

(d)    A volunteer or career fire company or rescue squad may consider the existence of a criminal conviction in determining whether to employ or appoint an applicant.