The Consolidation of Fire Safety Services in Georgia Act, Senate Bill 319, sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R – Roswell), passed the Senate on February 21, 2018, with bipartisan support.

“Thank you to Governor Deal, Lt. Governor Cagle and my Senate colleagues for their support on this bill,” said Sen. Albers. “As Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, ensuring the safety of Georgia’s citizens is my top priority. My bill will bring together all fire safety services under one umbrella in an effort to increase communication, streamline effectiveness and provide better services and response times to citizens across the state.”

The Consolidation of Fire Safety Services in Georgia Act creates a new Division of Fire Safety, which will be led by the new position of Commissioner of Fire Safety. The new division will fall under the authority of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. SB 319 provides the authorization to consolidate Georgia’s fire safety services and transfers the authority from the Commissioner of Insurance to the new division and commissioner. The bill also creates a Fire Safety Advisory Board to advise the appointed commissioner and aid with the newly consolidated duties.

The changes to Georgia’s fire safety services under SB 319 would be effective no later than July 1, 2019. The bill has been transmitted to the Georgia House of Representatives for further consideration and approval.