1. (1) Unless otherwise specified below, all words and terms shall be interpreted according to their plain and ordinary meaning.
2. (2) “Active fire service” shall mean a member or employee of the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office, or a recognized fire department, who is trained in fire fighting, prevention of fires, suppressing fires, performing rescue services, and for other emergency response purposes, and is actively engaged in such work or activities.
3. (3) “Affiliation” shall mean a member or employee of a recognized fire department who is actively involved in the training of firefighters, fire prevention education or activities, fire inspections, or fire investigations.
4. (4) “Closed examination” shall mean an examination which is administered to the firefighters of a single fire department or a single approved course.
5. (5) “Commission” shall mean the Tennessee Commission on Fire Fighting Personnel Standards and Education. “Commission” may also refer to a person designated by the Commission for a particular purpose.
6. (6) “Commission office” shall mean the office of the Director and staff of the Tennessee Commission on Fire Fighting Personnel Standards and Education.
7. (7) “Department” shall mean a department of a municipality, county, or political subdivision, or an organization, agency, or entity that offers its services, for or without pay, for the purpose of suppressing fires, performing rescue services, or for other emergency response purposes. Excluded from this definition are law enforcement agencies, emergency medical agencies licensed by the Tennessee emergency medical services board, and rescue squads that do not provide fire protection.
8. (8) “Firefighter” shall mean a person employed by a fire department that is recognized by the State Fire Marshal and is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents.
9. (9) “ICC” shall mean the International Code Council.
10. (10) “ICS” shall mean the Incident Command System.
11. (11) “IFSAC” shall mean the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.
12. (12) “NFPA” shall mean the National Fire Protection Association.
13. (13) “NIMS” shall mean the National Incident Management System.
14. (14) “Practical examination” shall mean a skill evaluation used to assess a candidate’s ability to perform a particular job performance requirement, requisite skill, or objective of a standard for the purpose of certification.
15. (15) “Pro Board” shall mean the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
16. (16) “TFACA” shall mean the Tennessee Fire and Codes Enforcement Academy.
17. (17) “Training Coordinator” shall mean a person at the department who acts as a point of contact for receipt of Commission-related information.
18. (18) “Written examination” shall mean an assessment administered on paper or on a computer that is used to measure a candidate’s knowledge of a particular job performance requirement, requisite knowledge, or objective of a standard for the purpose of certification.
19. (19) “Volunteer firefighter” shall mean a duly appointed member of a fire department who is not employed in a full-time capacity with the department. Volunteer firefighters may receive life insurance, health insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, length of service awards, pay-per-call or per-hour, or similar compensation.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-24-101 and 4-24-107. Administrative History: Original rule filed August 27, 1979; effective October 10, 1979. Amendment filed September 30, 1983; effective December 14, 1983. Amendment filed November 8, 1990; effective December 23, 1990. Amendment filed October 14, 1994; effective February 28, 1995. Repeal and new rule filed April 25, 2005; effective July 9, 2005. Amendment filed December 14, 2009; effective March 14, 2010. Repeal and new rule filed October 27, 2014; effective January 25, 2015. Amendments filed April 2, 2025; effective July 1, 2025.