Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2002 No. 283

FIRE SERVICES

Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Made

10th September 2002

Coming into operation

1st October 2002

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety(1), in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 9(5) and 52(1) of the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984(2), and now vested in it(3), and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation on 1st October 2002.

Amendment of the Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979

2.  In regulation 4 of the Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979(4), for paragraph (1) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs –

“(1) A person shall not be appointed to be chief fire officer unless –

(a) he has –

(i) served in the rank of Divisional Officer (Grade 1), or in a higher rank, as a member of a fire brigade maintained by a fire authority in Great Britain under the 1947 Act or by the Authority, and

(ii) completed the Senior Officers' Course, the Senior Command Course or the Brigade Command Course at a training institution established and maintained by the Secretary of State under section 23(1)(a) of the 1947 Act,

or

(b) he has acquired experience and qualifications equivalent to those specified in heads (i) and (ii) of sub-paragraph (a).

(1A) The Authority may delegate any function relating to the appointment of a chief fire officer to such committee of the Authority as may be determined by it.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 10th September 2002.

L.S.

Denis McMahon

Senior Officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Fire Services (Appointments and Promotion) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979 by substituting provisions relating to eligibility for appointment of the Chief Fire Officer.

The minimum level of rank in which previous service is required remains at Divisional Officer (Grade 1). Completion of the Fire Service College’s Senior Officers' Course or the Senior Command Course remains a qualification for such appointment as an alternative to the existing requirement of completion of the Brigade Command Course. Provision is now made for the eligibility of officers with equivalent experience and qualifications. The Regulations also provide that any function relating to the appointment of a chief fire officer may be delegated to a committee of the Fire Authority.

(1)

See Article 3(6) of S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1)

(2)

S.I. 1984/1821 (N.I. 11); as amended by S.I. 1998/1549 (N.I. 11)

(3)

See Article 6(c) of, and Part III of Schedule 4 to, S.R. 1999 No. 481

(4)

S.R. 1979 No. 167; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1981 No. 291 and S.R. 1989 No. 233