37 TAC § 421.9. Designation of Fire Protection Duties

(a) An individual who performs one or more fire protection duties, listed in the Texas Government Code, §419.021(3)(C), for a fire department of local government entity shall be designated to only one of the following categories:

(1) fire protection personnel;

(2) a part-time fire protection employee; or

(3) a volunteer fire fighter or other auxiliary fire fighter.

(b) A fire department regulated by the Commission may not designate the same person under more than one category under this section. The designation shall be made on the records of the department and the designation shall be made available for inspection by the Commission or sent to the Commission on request.

(c) A fire department regulated by the Commission shall report the appointment of fire protection personnel to a regulated discipline via the Commission's online management program, or the appropriate form if available. Fire protection personnel who are assigned to a regulated discipline as part of their regularly assigned duties shall be appointed to that discipline with the Commission. No individual may be appointed to a discipline without approval by the Commission. The Commission shall not approve an initial appointment to a regulated discipline until it has reviewed and approved a person's fingerprint-based criminal history record. Termination of fire protection personnel or part-time fire protection employees shall be reported to the Commission via the Commission's online management program, or the appropriate form if available within 14 calendar days of the action. In the case of termination, the employing entity shall report an individual's last known home address to the Commission. A Removal from Appointment form may be submitted without the employee's signature.

(d) A fire department may not in a calendar year compensate, reimburse, or provide benefits to a person the department has designated as a volunteer or other auxiliary fire fighter in an amount that is equal to or more than what a person receives working 2,080 hours at the federal minimum wage.

(e) A person certified as fire protection personnel in one fire department may be employed and designated as a part-time fire protection employee in another fire department without additional certification as a part-time fire protection employee.