(1) The division shall perform the following
duties:
(a) Assist units of local government charged with fire prevention, fire
protection, fire investigation, and emergency medical services in coordinating their
activities with state departments and agencies which have similar responsibilities;
(a.5) Assist units of local government charged with the construction,
maintenance, and inspection of public school and local district college buildings in
coordinating their activities with state departments and agencies that have similar
responsibilities;
(b) Advise the governor and the general assembly regarding the problems of
fire safety;
(b.5) Advise the governor and the general assembly regarding
implementation of the public school construction and inspection program and the
health facility construction and inspection program;
(c) Regarding problems of fire safety which are common to local, state, and
federal governmental units, including but not limited to hazardous waste,
protective equipment for firefighters, flammable and toxic characteristics of
materials during combustion, fire incident reporting, emergency medical incident
reporting, and investigation of fires, be available to assist in the solution of those
problems, serve as an information clearinghouse, and collect and disseminate to
local governments, the general assembly, and the general public statistical and
research reports which are of interest to them;
(d) Refer local fire departments to appropriate state and federal agencies
for advice, assistance, and services regarding their specific problems;
(e) Perform such research as is necessary to carry out the functions of the
division;
(f) Encourage and, when so requested, assist in cooperative efforts among
the officials of various local fire departments to solve common problems;
(g) Encourage the conduct of and participate in training institutes,
conferences, and programs for local government officials and employees in the
area of fire services;
(h) Upon the request of local government officials, provide technical
assistance in defining and developing solutions to local fire safety problems
including, but not limited to, fireworks statutes; electrical hazards; public education
programs; regulations concerning explosives; inspection of facilities when the
performance of the inspections is the statutory duty of another state agency;
hazardous materials storage, handling, and transportation; and volatile, flammable,
and carcinogenic materials;
(i) Coordinate fire service education and training programs, hazardous
materials responder training programs, and firefighter and hazardous materials
responder certification programs, which shall be available statewide;
(j) Administer the certification programs for firefighters and hazardous
materials responders, providing office space, equipment, and the services of a
clerical staff as necessary for the carrying out of the intent of this part 12;
(k) Train and instruct firefighters in subjects relating to the fire service;
coordinate fire service-related education and training classes, programs,
conferences, and seminars; and train and instruct, or coordinate the training of,
hazardous materials responders; except that all training related to terrorism shall
be coordinated with the division of homeland security and emergency management
created in part 16 of this article;
(l) Receive and accept gifts, funds, grants, bequests, and services for use in
the function of the division;
(m) To help ensure that communities and firefighters have sufficient
resources, technical support, and training to adequately assess wildfire risks,
increase upgrades on federal excess property fire engines on loan to local fire
departments; increase technical assistance in wildland fire preparedness to
counties and fire protection districts; and, in conjunction with the wildfire
preparedness plan created pursuant to section 24-33.5-1227, ensure that state
fire-fighting equipment such as fire engines and air tankers is fully operational and
available to and coordinated with the equipment capacities of local fire
departments and fire protection districts, and that personnel are fully trained in its
use;
(n) Administer a uniform statewide reporting system for fires, hazardous
materials incidents, emergency medical service incidents, and other incidents to
which fire departments respond;
(o) Repealed.
(p) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(p) is effective until January 1,
2026. ] Conduct construction plan reviews and inspect public school and local
district college buildings and structures and enforce the codes adopted in
accordance with sections 22-32-124 (2) and 23-71-122 (1)(v), C.R.S., and sections 24-33.5-1213 and 24-33.5-1213.3;
(p) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(p) is effective January 1,
2026. ] Conduct construction plan reviews and inspect public school and local
district college buildings and structures and enforce the codes adopted in
accordance with sections 22-32-124 (2), 23-71-122 (1)(v), 24-33.5-1213, and 24-33.5-1213.3. The division shall ensure that when the codes adopted in accordance with
sections 22-32-124 (2), 23-71-122 (1)(v), 24-33.5-1213, and 24-33.5-1213.3 are
substantially amended, the codes meet or exceed the accessibility standards
adopted by one of the two most recent versions of the international building code,
as adopted by the International Code Council or a successor organization.
(p.5) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(p.5) is effective until
January 1, 2026. ] When there is no local building department or fire department, or
for facilities certified or potentially eligible for certification by the federal centers
for medicare and medicaid services, conduct construction plan reviews and
inspections of health facility buildings and structures, enforce the codes in
accordance with sections 24-33.5-1212.5 and 24-33.5-1213, and issue certificates
of compliance for such buildings and structures;
(p.5) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(p.5) is effective January 1,
2026. ] When there is no local building department or fire department, or for
facilities certified or potentially eligible for certification by the federal centers for
medicare and medicaid services, conduct construction plan reviews and inspections
of health facility buildings and structures, enforce the codes in accordance with
sections 24-33.5-1212.5 and 24-33.5-1213, and issue certificates of compliance for
such buildings and structures. The division shall ensure that when the codes
adopted in accordance with sections 24-33.5-1212.5 and 24-33.5-1213 are
substantially amended, the codes meet or exceed the accessibility standards
adopted by one of the two most recent versions of the international building code,
as adopted by the International Code Council or a successor organization.
(q) Provide training in accordance with section 24-33.5-1212 to directors of
certain fire protection districts created pursuant to part 1 of article 1 of title 32,
C.R.S.;
(r) Certify building inspectors to conduct building inspections for public
school and local district college buildings;
(s) Pursuant to section 24-33.5-1213.4, assist school districts and schools in
implementing the school response framework set forth in section 22-32-109.1 (4),
C.R.S., advise school districts and schools concerning all-hazard exercises and drills
for school buildings and the interoperability of school communications systems
with state and local emergency personnel, and, in collaboration with the office of
information technology created in section 24-37.5-103, the school safety resource
center created in section 24-33.5-1803, and other government entities and
community partners, provide information to school districts and schools concerning
emergency preparedness;
(t) Implement a prescribed burning program, including conducting
prescribed burning on any area in the state pursuant to section 24-33.5-1217. The
division shall conduct such prescribed burning program in cooperation with local,
state, or federal agencies, private persons, or concerns.
(u) Establish and maintain the Colorado firefighting air corps established
under section 24-33.5-1228;
(v) Administer the funding and payment of death benefits for seasonal
wildland firefighters in accordance with section 24-33.5-1229;
(w) Establish and operate the wildfire information and resource center
created in section 24-33.5-1230;
(x) Establish and maintain a statewide fire dispatch center to ensure rapid
response of fire-based resources to emerging wildfire and all-hazard incidents in
support of local, county, state, and federal agencies in Colorado;
(y) (I) (A) On or before January 1, 2025, the division shall adopt and enforce an
energy code that achieves equivalent or better energy performance than the 2021
international energy conservation code and the model electric ready and solar
ready code language developed for adoption by the energy code board pursuant to
section 24-38.5-401 (5). This energy code must apply to the buildings described in
sections 22-32-124 (2), 23-71-122 (1)(v), and 24-33.5-1212.5.
(B) On or before January 1, 2030, the division shall adopt and enforce an
energy code that achieves equivalent or better energy and carbon emissions
performance than the model low energy and carbon code developed for adoption
by the energy code board pursuant to section 24-38.5-401 (6). This energy code
must apply to the buildings described in sections 22-32-124 (2), 23-71-122 (1)(v), 24-33.5-1212.5, 24-33.5-1213.3, and 24-33.5-1213.5.
(II) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (1)(y), the division
may make any amendments to an energy code that the division deems appropriate,
so long as the amendments do not decrease the effectiveness or energy efficiency
of the energy code.
(III) Nothing in this subsection (1)(y) restricts the ability of an investor-owned
utility with approval from the public utilities commission to:
(A) Provide incentives or other energy efficiency program services to help
the division or builders comply with the requirements of this subsection (1)(y); or
(B) Earn shareholder incentives and claim credits toward its regulatory
requirements for energy or greenhouse gas emissions savings achieved as a result
of incentives provided by the utility to help the division or builders comply with the
requirements of this subsection (1)(y).
(IV) A utility not subject to regulation by the public utilities commission may
provide incentives as they so choose to assist the division or any builders in
complying with the requirements of this subsection (1)(y).
(V) (A) A utility may count mass-based emissions reductions associated with
the requirements of this subsection (1)(y) towards compliance with its requirements
under section 25-7-105 (1)(e)(X.7) or (1)(e)(X.8), section 40-3.2-108 (3)(b), or any
similar greenhouse gas emissions reduction program or set of requirements.
(B) A utility subject to regulation by the public utilities commission shall not
count energy savings or greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved through the
requirements of this incentive established pursuant to sections 40-3.2-103 (2)(d)
and 40-3.2-104 (5) if the utility has not provided a financial investment for code
adoption as documented in a plan approved by the commission.
(z) [ Editor's note: Subsection (1)(z) is effective January 1, 2026. ] Adopt
minimum codes and standards for fire safety and prevention related to the
operation of mobile food establishments, as defined in section 29-11.6-102 (6), for
use by a local government in the local government's establishment or adoption of a
fire code.
(2) The duties and functions of the division set forth in this part 12, including
duties and functions pertaining to fire service education, training, and certification,
apply to prescribed fires, wildfires, and wildland fire-related activities.