2020 Arkansas Code
Title 12 - Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs
Subtitle 2 - Law Enforcement Agencies and Programs
Chapter 13 - Fire Prevention
Subchapter 2 - Arkansas Fire Training Academy
§ 12-13-205. Reimbursement for training expenses

(a)

1. (1) If any county, city, or town pays the cost or expenses for training a firefighter at the Arkansas Fire Training Academy or other like program and another county, city, or town or an agency of the State of Arkansas employs that firefighter within eighteen (18) months after completion of the training in a position requiring a certificate of training from the academy, the state agency, county, city, or town so employing the firefighter, at the time of employing the firefighter, shall reimburse the county, city, or town for all or a portion of the expenses incurred by the county, city, or town for the training of the firefighter at the academy, unless the firefighter has been terminated by the county, city, or town which paid the costs or expenses of training, in which case no reimbursement is required from the state agency, county, city, or town hiring the firefighter.

2. (2) Reimbursement may only be sought from the first state agency, county, city, or town which employs the firefighter after another county, city, or town has paid the costs or expenses of training.

3. (3) Reimbursement shall include any salary, travel expenses, food, lodging, or other costs required to be paid by the county, city, or town, as follows:

   1. (A) If the person is employed within two (2) months after completion of the training, the employing agency shall reimburse the total cost of the training;

   2. (B) If the person is employed more than two (2) months but not more than six (6) months after completion of the training, the employing agency shall reimburse eighty percent (80%) of the cost of the training;

   3. (C) If the person is employed more than six (6) months but not more than ten (10) months after completion of the training, the employing agency shall reimburse sixty percent (60%) of the cost of the training;

   4. (D) If the person is employed more than ten (10) months but not more than fourteen (14) months after completion of the training, the employing agency shall reimburse forty percent (40%) of the cost of the training; or

   5. (E) If the person is employed more than fourteen (14) months but not more than eighteen (18) months after completion of the training, the employing agency shall reimburse twenty percent (20%) of the cost of the training.

4. (4) If the person is employed more than eighteen (18) months after completion of the training, no reimbursement is required.

(b)

1. (1) If any county, city, town, or state agency which employs a firefighter whose training expense was paid by another county, city, or town fails to make reimbursement for the expenses as required in subsection (a) of this section, the county, city, or town entitled to reimbursement shall notify the Treasurer of State.

2. (2) The Treasurer of State shall then withhold the amount of the reimbursement due for training the firefighter from the county or municipal aid of the employing county, city, or town or from funds appropriated to the employing state agency and shall remit the amount to the county, city, or town which is entitled to the reimbursement under the provisions of this section.