(A) The state board of education, in conjunction with emergency service providers, shall develop a program to provide emergency service telecommunicator training, and shall implement the program not more than one year after the effective date of this section. In developing the program, the state board and the emergency service providers shall accept and consider suggestions from any political subdivision or other entity, whether located within or outside of this state, that offers suggestions. The program shall include all of the following:

(1) A curriculum for a basic course of emergency service telecommunicator training that conforms to the requirements of division (A) of section 4742.03 of the Revised Code;

(2) A curriculum for continuing education coursework in emergency service telecommunicator training that conforms to the requirements of division (B) of section 4742.03 of the Revised Code;

(3) Standards and examinations to be used in the program to certify that a person has successfully completed a basic course of, or continuing education coursework in, emergency service telecommunicator training;

(4) Implementation of the training program at vocational education centers that are approved by the board to offer vocational education;

(5) The provision at least eight times per year of a basic course of emergency service telecommunicator training at different vocational education centers around this state selected to reasonably accommodate persons requesting the training;

(6) A requirement that any employee of an emergency service provider may enroll in and complete any course offered under the program at no charge by the state board to the employee or provider. The tuition and materials costs for training such employees under the program shall be paid from the emergency service telecommunicator training fund created under division (B) of this section.

(7) A requirement that space available in each basic course offered by the state board shall be allocated on a priority basis, first to unpaid volunteers of emergency service providers, second to paid volunteers of such providers, and third to other persons;

(8) A provision allowing persons who are not employees of emergency service providers to enroll in any course offered under the program, on a space-available basis. The state board may charge reasonable tuition to such persons to attend the course.

(B) The emergency service telecommunicator training fund is hereby established in the state treasury. The state board of education shall use money in the fund only for the following purposes:

(1) To develop the emergency service telecommunicator training program required under division (A) of this section;

(2) To pay the compensation of state board of education employees who administer the program and the state board's costs of training employees of emergency service providers at courses offered under the program.

(C) The state board of education, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules necessary to develop and administer the training program under this section.

Effective Date: 11-05-1997 .