SBCC-Approved Course List for 15-Year-Old Firefighters (Effective February 1, 2023)

NUMBERED MEMO CC23-005

(Information Issued also as Public Safety Memo PS23-02)

 

TO: Community College Presidents, Senior Continuing Education Administrators

 

FROM: Barbara Boyce, Interim Associate VP, Workforce and Continuing Education Programs

 

SUBJECT: SBCC-Approved Course List for 15-Year-Old Firefighters (Effective February 1, 2023)

 

DATE: January 27, 2023

 

On January 20, 2023, the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC) took action to allow community colleges to enroll qualified 15-year-old firefighters in selected fire-training courses, beginning February 1, 2023. This action was authorized in Session Law 2022-69 House Bill 661 and supports the workforce development needs of the state’s volunteer fire departments.

 

The related State-Board actions follow:

• Approval of the attached “Specialized Course List for Minor Firefighters Pursuant to G.S. 115D-20(4): SBCC-Approved Course List for 15-Year-Old Firefighters,” with an effective date of February 1, 2023. Reference: SBCC Agenda Item PROG 01.

• Amendment of 1D SBCCC 300.4 Program Management, with an effective date of February 1, 2023, to allow for the enrollment of 15-year-old minor firefighters, as authorized in the Session Law. Reference: SBCC Agenda Item PROG 02. 

• Related memos documenting this revision process are CC22-053 and CC23-003.

Please note:

• This memo supersedes Public Safety Memo PS18-04.
• Colleges may earn FTE for 15-year-old firefighters enrolled per these policies.
• As defined by the Session Law, these 15-year-old students must be “uncompensated” members of a “bona fide fire department” to qualify for enrollment under these policies; therefore, they do qualify for registration fee waivers in the same manner as other affiliated firefighters, as outlined in CC18-053 Tuition and Registration Fee Waiver Reference Guide.
• These policies are not designed for Career and College Promise (CCP): Fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to enroll in any CCP course if they do not meet all CCP requirements.
• Colleges may continue to enroll and earn FTE for those older than 15 under policies and practices that have not changed (the specialized course list only applies to 15-year-old firefighters).

Moving forward, the SBCC-Approved Course List for 15-Year-Old Firefighters will be maintained in the NCCCS Tuition and Registration Fee Waiver Reference Guide.

Attachment C: Dr. Levy Brown Dr. Lisa Eads Ms. Tracy McPherson Mr. Kenny Weatherington

Attachment CC23-005 Page 2 Specialized Course List for Minor Firefighters Pursuant to G.S. 115D-20(4): SBCC-Approved Course List for 15-Year-Old Firefighters

Effective February 1, 2023 Approved by the State Board of Community Colleges on January 20, 2023, per PROG 01

Background:

Session Law 2022-69 House Bill 661, approved on July 8, 2022, authorizes community colleges to enroll 15-year-olds in fire training courses, as authorized in G.S. 115D-20(4)e, pursuant to G.S. 95- 25.5(n), and on a specialized course list approved by the State Board of Community colleges in accordance with G.S. 115D-5(b)(2). The following courses, along with specific caveats, are approved for this purpose.

Caveats to Enrollment of 15-Year-Olds in Any Community College Fire Training Course:

• Fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to enroll in any course that includes live fire training.
• Fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to enroll in any course that contains content that would require the student to possess a valid North Carolina driver’s license.
• Fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to enroll in any course governed by an outside entity, including but not limited to the NC Office of the State Fire Marshal which governs the fire certification program under the authority of the NC Fire and Rescue Commission; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its divisions; and the NC Department of Labor (NCDOL), if/when enrollment of 15-year-olds is prohibited by the outside entity.
• Fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to enroll in any Career and College Promise (CCP) course if they do not meet all CCP requirements.
• Enrollment of 15-year-olds is limited to the Workforce Continuing Education course ID numbers/prefixes from the NCCCS Combined Course Library listed below and must not violate any of the other caveats above.

Registration fee waivers authorized for public safety responders may be issued to 15-yearold firefighters enrolling in courses on this approved list, provided that they meet the fire department affiliation parameters outlined in the Fire Departments section of the NCCCS Tuition and Registration Fee Waiver Reference Guide.

State-Certification-Related Fire Courses Approved for 15-Year-Old Community College Students

Note: Enrollment of 15-year-old firefighters must comply with the associated caveats listed above.

cc23-005_15-year-old_firefighter_specialized_course_list.pdf