2006 New York Code - Functions, Powers And Duties Of The Office.

 
    § 156. Functions,  powers and duties of the office. The office of fire
  prevention and control, by and through the state fire  administrator  or
  his duly authorized officer or employee, shall be empowered to:
    1. Advise and assist in coordinating and strengthening the activities,
  programs  and  services,  and rules and regulations of those departments
  and agencies of the  state  which  have  functions,  powers  and  duties
  relating   to   (a)  arson  suppression,  detection,  investigation  and
  prosecution,  (b)  fire   prevention   and   control,   and   (c)   fire
  service-related  problems,  to  the  end  of  providing  more  effective
  services to the public and strengthening governmental programs  relating
  to such matters.
    1-a.   Advise  and  assist  the  state  education  department  in  the
  development of a specialized course of study for teachers  of  fire  and
  arson prevention.
    2.  Advise  and  assist  fire  companies,  municipal  corporations and
  districts, including agencies  and  departments  thereof  in  developing
  measures  for  more  effective fire and arson prevention and control; to
  assist and  encourage  cooperative  efforts  to  solve  common  problems
  relating  to  fire  and  arson  prevention and control and to serve as a
  clearinghouse  of  information  about  fire  and  arson  prevention  and
  control,  about reported cases of burn injuries or wounds sustained, and
  about state and federal services available to  assist  in  solving  such
  problems.
    3.  Employ  or  contract with individuals, agencies or corporations to
  assist fire companies,  municipal  corporations  and  districts  in  the
  development of an arson investigation program or in the investigation of
  cases  of  suspected arson or cases of burn injuries or wounds sustained
  upon the request of such an entity. However, nothing in  this  provision
  shall  be  construed  to  remove  the  primary  responsibility for arson
  investigations from appropriate local jurisdictions or agencies.
    4. Improve arson evidence analysis and testing at existing  facilities
  and  periodically  recommend to the governor and the legislature methods
  to improve such services.
    5. Collect, compile and disseminate information relating to  fire  and
  arson  prevention and control, reported cases of burn injuries or wounds
  sustained, the use of sprinkler systems, and to  operate  a  state  fire
  reporting  system.  The  state  fire  reporting  system  shall include a
  procedure for the identification of patterns of suspicious  or  criminal
  fires and for alerting appropriate state and local authorities. The fire
  reporting system shall also include fire incident data supplied by local
  fire  agencies  in  a  manner  and on forms prescribed by the state fire
  administrator. To the extent practicable, the data  shall  be  collected
  and  maintained in a form compatible with information collected by other
  states and the federal government. The state  fire  administrator  shall
  cooperate  with  the  division  of  state  police,  division of criminal
  justice services, insurance department, local police and fire  agencies,
  the   insurance   industry   and   other  appropriate  organizations  in
  maintaining  such  system.  The  provisions  of  section  three  hundred
  eighteen  of the insurance law shall apply to any organization supplying
  information pursuant to this subdivision.
    6. Plan, coordinate and provide training for firefighters,  both  paid
  and volunteer, and related governmental officers and employees, relating
  to  fire  and  arson prevention and control, and encourage expansion and
  improvement of  local  training  facilities  in  cooperation  with  fire
  companies, municipal corporations and districts.
    7. Operate the New York state academy of fire science.
    8. Consult with and cooperate with state departments and agencies, and
  universities, colleges and institutions in the state for the development
  of  specialized  courses  of  study  for  public officers and employees,
  including  paid   and   volunteer   firemen,   in   fire   science   and
  administration.
    9.  Coordinate  and  support  arson training programs conducted by the
  division of criminal justice services and the division of state police.
    10. Provide such public education and  information  programs,  studies
  and reports as the state fire administrator may determine in furtherance
  of  the  provisions  of  this article and to coordinate and assist other
  state agencies, municipal corporations and districts and fire  companies
  in such matters.
    11.  Provide  management  advice and technical assistance to municipal
  corporations and districts and fire companies relating to fire and arson
  prevention  and   control,   including   recommendations   relating   to
  organizations  and  structure  of fire companies, municipal corporations
  and districts, allocations of  powers  and  functions,  cooperation  and
  intergovernmental  organizational  and fiscal relationships, federal and
  state aid programs; to provide legal advice and  technical  services  to
  state  and  local  officials and agencies with respect to powers, duties
  and functions of municipal corporations and districts and fire companies
  relating to fire and arson prevention and control.
    12. Prepare and recommend revisions, consolidations or compilations of
  statutes relating to arson, fire prevention and control.
    13. Upon request of the appropriate state agency, provide for the fire
  safety inspection  of  state  or  state-regulated  facilities  with  the
  cooperation  and  assistance  of  local  fire  inspection personnel. The
  completed fire inspection form shall be filed with the requesting agency
  and contain recommendations as may be appropriate and a copy filed  with
  the office of fire prevention and control.
    14.  Act  as  the  official  agent  of  the  state  for the purpose of
  administering, carrying out and otherwise cooperating with  the  federal
  government  in  connection  with  the  provisions  of  the  federal fire
  prevention and control act of  nineteen  hundred  seventy-four  and  any
  federal  laws  amendatory  or  supplemental  to  such  act heretofore or
  hereafter enacted; to apply for, accept, and expend funds made available
  by the federal government pursuant to such act; and to  enter  into  any
  necessary  contracts  or  compacts  pursuant  to  such  federal  acts in
  connection therewith and  to  take  any  further  action  which  may  be
  required under the terms of any such federal act.
    15.  Enter  into  contracts  with  any  person,  firm,  corporation or
  governmental agency to do all things necessary and convenient  to  carry
  out  the  functions,  powers  and  duties  expressly  set  forth in this
  article.
    16. Accept and administer as agent  of  the  state  any  gift,  grant,
  devise  or  bequest, including federal grants for any of the purposes of
  this article. Any moneys so received may be expended subject to the same
  limitations as to approval of expenditures and audits as are  prescribed
  for state moneys.
    17. Establish rules and regulations as to the location and design of a
  delineator used to mark the location of fire hydrants.
    18.  Adopt,  amend or rescind such rules, regulations or orders as may
  be necessary or convenient to the performance of the  functions,  powers
  and duties set forth in this article.