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Act 155

Act 155 was signed into law Nov. 3, 2022, and went into effect Jan. 4, 2023.

It allows the state training system to provide the same interior firefighting training to 17-year-old junior firefighters that was previously only allowed at career and technology center schools.

Act 155 applies only to junior firefighters who are at least 17-years-old on the first day of class, and only applies to finishing Entry Level Interior Firefighter Training, or ELIF. The exception is not applicable to any other fire training.

We are exploring a reduction in the minimum age to test for Firefighter 1 for 17-year-old junior firefighters who have completed ELIF, but no final action has been taken.

Access the updated Entry Level Fire Training Curriculum Policy (PDF).

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Guidance

Act 155 of 2022 amended the Child Labor Law to allow certain junior firefighters to enter burning structures in certain, limited situations.

Act 155 allows junior firefighters to enter burning structures if all of the following criteria are met:

The student is engaged in a training session for an interior firefighting module with live burns.
The student will be 17-years-old on the first scheduled day of class.
The student has written permission of the fire chief of their sponsoring fire company to participate, prior to the first scheduled day of class.
The student has written permission of their legal parent or guardian to participate in the class, prior to the first scheduled day of class.
The minor is under the supervision of a credentialed Pennsylvania State Fire Academy instructor.

Pursuant to the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy's entry level fire training curriculum policy, Entry Level Interior Firefighting (ELIF) is the fourth module that must be completed during the course of entry level fire training. Nothing in Act 155 or this guidance changes the directive of that policy. Accordingly, a junior firefighter must complete these three modules before enrolling in ELIF (which includes entering a burning structure):

Module 1: Introduction to the Fire Service
Module 2: Fire Ground Support
Module 3: Exterior Firefighting

For the purposes of meeting the requirements of Act 155, a credentialed Pennsylvania State Fire Academy instructor shall mean an instructor accredited by the academy as a suppression instructor while under contract to a Pennsylvania Training System educational training agency, as part of an entry level training program, or as an instructor as part of an entry level training program registered with the academy.

For the purposes of a junior firefighter completing ELIF, live-fire components shall be subject to the following:

All interior live-fire components for junior firefighters shall be in a controlled environment that is prop designed and constructed to meet the requirements of National Fire Protection Agency Standard 1402 and National Fire Protection Agency Standard 1403.
Acquired structures shall not be used, for any reason, during the course of a junior firefighter ELIF.
A 16-hour Pennsylvania State Fire Academy structure burn session that is pre-scheduled as part of the larger entry level training program and conducted in a burn pop constructed for the express purpose of performing live-fire training is permitted, as long as enrollment in the program is limited to entry-level students only.
An educational training agency may apply for an exception to these requirements by submitting a review request, in writing, to the academy administrator. No exceptions for use of an acquired structure will be permitted.
An entry level training program with no reasonable access to a training prop that meets the standard can request that the academy schedule a session with its mobile live-burn simulator.
General fire company training or non-entry level training programs do not constitute acceptable junior firefighter ELIF live fire components.

Junior firefighters who are 17-years-old shall be permitted to complete all lessons of the entry level training program if they meet the above requirements. Junior firefighters who are 17-years-old and have completed all pre-requisite course work will be permitted to sit for their Firefighter 1 (Pro-Board/IFSAC) examination.

Nothing in Act 155 or this policy waives the Child Labor Law prohibitions on minors performing any tasks prohibited by the Pennsylvania Child Labor Laws in the field, regardless of their level of training and education, or any other act that the Department of Labor and Industry determines is dangerous to the health of a child.

Parental & Fire Chief Permission

Junior firefighters who meet the criteria must have written permission from their fire chief and legal guardian to participate.

​Act 155

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Act 155

Parental & Fire Chief Permission