Bill Text: WV HB2313 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Reducing the number of hours of experience needed to qualify as a journeyman sprinkler fitter

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-12 - To House Government Organization [HB2313 Detail]

Download: West_Virginia-2021-HB2313-Introduced.html

WEST virginia legislature

2021 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2313

By Delegate Foster

[Introduced February 12, 2021; Referred to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §29-3D-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to reducing the number of hours of experience needed to qualify as a journeyman sprinkler fitter from 10,000 to 3,000.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:


ARTICLE 3D. SUPERVISION OF FIRE PROTECTION WORK.


§29-3D-2. Definitions.

As used in this article and the legislative rules promulgated pursuant to this article:

(a) “Combination fire/smoke damper” means a device that meets both fire damper and smoke damper requirements.

(b) “Damper” means a fire damper, smoke damper or combination fire/smoke damper.

(c) “Damper work” means to install, test, maintain or repair a damper.

(d) “Engineered suppression systems installer” means a person certified by a manufacturer to install, alter, extend, maintain, layout or repair an agent suppression system.

(e) “Engineered suppression systems technician” means a person certified by a manufacturer to maintain or repair an agent suppression system.

(f) “Fire damper” means a device installed in an air distribution system, designed to close automatically upon detection of heat, to interrupt migratory airflow and to restrict the passage of flame. Fire dampers are classified for use in either static systems or for dynamic systems, where the dampers are rated for closure under airflow.

(g) “Fire protection damper technician” means a person certified to install, test, maintain or repair a damper.

(h) “Fire protection damper technician in training” means a person with interest in and an aptitude for performing installation, maintenance or repair work to a damper as defined in this article, but who alone is not capable or authorized to perform damper work unless directly supervised by a Fire Protection Damper Technician.

(i) “Fire protection layout technician” is an individual who has achieved National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level III or higher certification, and who has the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to layout fire protection systems based on engineering design documents.

(j) “Fire protection system” means any fire protection suppression device or system designed, installed and maintained in accordance with the applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards, but does not include public or private mobile fire vehicles.

(k) “Fire protection work” means the installation, alteration, extension, maintenance, or testing of all piping, materials and equipment inside a building, including the use of shop drawings prepared by a fire protection layout technician, in connection with the discharge of water, other special fluids, chemicals or gases and backflow preventers for fire protection for the express purpose of extinguishing or controlling fire.

(l) “Journeyman sprinkler fitter” means a person qualified by at least ten thousand 3,000 hours of work experience installing, adjusting, repairing and dismantling fire protection systems and who is competent to instruct and supervise the fire protection work of a sprinkler fitter in training.

(m) “License” means a valid and current license issued by the State Fire Marshal in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(n) “Portable fire extinguisher technician” means a person certified in accordance with NFPA 10 to install, maintain, repair and certify portable fire extinguishers as defined by NFPA 10.

(o) “Preengineered suppression systems installer” means a person certified by a manufacturer to install, alter, extend, maintain, layout or repair an agent suppression system.

(p) “Preengineered suppression systems technician” means a person certified to maintain or repair an agent suppression system.

(q) “Single family dwelling” means a building which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a single residence for one or more persons.

(r) “Smoke damper” means a device within an operating (dynamic) air distribution system to control the movement of smoke.

(s) “Sprinkler fitter in training” means a person with interest in and an aptitude for performing fire protection work but who alone is not capable of performing such work, and who has fewer than ten thousand 3,000 hours of experience installing, adjusting, repairing and dismantling fire protection systems.

 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to reduce the number of hours of experience needed to qualify as a journeyman sprinkler fitter from 10,000 to 3,000.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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