---
title: O.C.G.A. § 25-4-9. Basic firefighter training course; transfer of certification.
collection: code
id: 25-4-9
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 25-4-9 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/25-4-9
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/25-4-9.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/25-4-9/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t25-t26-(v21)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=82f520c4_0#page=24
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/25-4.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: FIRE PROTECTION AND SAFETY / FIREFIGHTER STANDARDS AND TRAINING
---

# O.C.G.A. § 25-4-9. Basic firefighter training course; transfer of certification.

(a)(1)(A) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, full-time, and part-time firefighters shall successfully complete a basic training course. The council shall determine the course content, number of hours, and all other matters relative to basic firefighter training, including airport rescue firefighter training. Upon satisfactory completion of such basic training, a firefighter shall be issued a certificate of completion. Each firefighter shall be required to successfully complete such basic training course within 12 months after being employed or appointed as a firefighter or, in the case of airport firefighters, within such time period as the council may prescribe by rule or regulation.

(B) The council shall determine the course content, number of hours, and all other matters relative to basic firefighter training for volunteer firefighters. Each volunteer firefighter shall be required to complete such basic training course within 18 months after being appointed as volunteer firefighter.

(2) Each firefighter who presents to the council, satisfactory documentation, as determined by the council of his or her training as a member of the United States armed forces, the Georgia National Guard, or the Georgia Air National Guard shall be issued a certificate of completion by the council.

(b) A firefighter certified by the council may, upon termination of employment or volunteer arrangement from any fire department and upon agreement with a subsequent fire department, transfer such certification to the subsequent fire department for the purpose of employment or volunteering.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section, any local fire department may refuse to accept the transfer of previously acquired certification and may require any new firefighter who is an employee or a volunteer to complete the basic training course provided for in subsection (a) of this Code section.

## History

Ga. L. 1971, p. 693, § 8; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1493, § 4; Ga. L. 2002, p. 660, § 4; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1259, § 11; Ga. L. 2003, p. 888, § 8; Ga. L. 2005, p. 619, § 3/SB 308; Ga. L. 2018, p. 202, § 2/HB 699; Ga. L. 2020, p. 515, § 12/SB 342; Ga. L. 2025, p. 332, § 6-15/SB 96, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, in subparagraph (a)(1)(A), deleted “, including airport firefighters,” following “firefighters” in the first sentence, deleted “for full-time and part-time firefighters” following “training” at the end of the second sentence, and deleted “evidencing the same” at the end of the third sentence; deleted “volunteer” following “The” at the beginning of subparagraph (a)(1)(B); in paragraph (a)(2), deleted “or to the volunteer council in the case of volunteer firefighters,” following “to the council,”, deleted “or volunteer council,” following “by the council” and deleted “or volunteer council” at the end; in subsection (b), inserted “or volunteer arrangement”, substituted “subsequent fire department” for “subsequently employing fire department”, substituted “subsequent fire department for the purpose of employment or volunteering” for “employing fire department”; and, in subsection (c), substituted “any new firefighter who is an employee or a volunteer” for “any newly employed firefighter”.