CHAPTER 217

An Act concerning the award of county college credit to certain firefighters and supplementing chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

C.18A:64A-79 Findings, declarations relative to award of county college credit to certain firefighters.

    1.    The Legislature finds and declares that: through programs and courses county fire academies work to enhance the ability of firefighters to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies; county fire academy courses offer students an opportunity to grow professionally and to increase their knowledge and skills to provide a safe and effective response to their communities; and certain courses offered by county fire academies are equal in difficulty to those at the college level.

    The Legislature, therefore, further finds that it is appropriate for county colleges to award college credits to firefighters for certain courses completed in county fire academies.

C.18A:64A-80 Conditions for receipt of county college credit for course at fire academy.

    2. a. Any person who successfully completes a course at a county fire academy shall receive county college credit for the course if: the county college determines after a review of the curriculum of the course offered by the county fire academy that the curriculum is similar to the curriculum of a course offered in the county college's fire science program; and upon completion of the course, the person successfully completes an examination approved by the county college. The county college shall waive any credit-by-exam fee the college may charge.

    b.    The county fire academy and county college of a county shall work jointly to identify courses at the county fire academy which offer a curriculum similar to that of courses included in the county college's fire science program.

    3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    Approved September 7, 2005.