Section 251.20  Definitions

"Act" means the Fire Equipment Distributor and Employee Regulation Act of 2011 [225 ILCS 217].

"Applicant" means the entity that submits an application for a license. The applicant for any fire equipment employee license shall be the fire equipment distributor that intends to employ the candidate for fire equipment employee license.

"Approved" means meeting the requirements of the Office contained in this Part.

"Authority Having Jurisdiction" or "AHJ" means the Office and governmental authorities.

"Candidate" means a certified individual for whom a fire equipment distributor has applied to license as a fire equipment employee. 

"Citation" means a notice of fine or penalty related to a violation of the Act or this Part.

"Engineered Fire Suppression System" or "Engineered System" means any detection and special agent fire suppression system requiring individual calculation and design, the components of which have been tested and listed or approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.  The design of the system must be within the manufacturer's parameters for the fire suppression system and components to protect a specific hazard.  The design shall meet the applicable fire protection codes and standards.  Engineered fire suppression systems shall not include a fire sprinkler system under the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act [225 ILCS 317].

"Fire Equipment Distributor" or "Distributor" means any person, company or corporation that services, recharges, hydrostatic tests, inspects, installs, maintains, alters, repairs, or replaces fire equipment.  The term does not include a person, company or corporation that only performs hydrostatic testing of cylinders. The term does not include a fire equipment manufacturer.

"Fire Equipment Distributor License" means a license issued to a fire equipment distributor in accordance with the conditions established by the Act and this Part.

"Fire equipment" means any portable or fixed fire extinguishing device or system other than a fire sprinkler system under the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act [225 ILCS 317]. [225 ILCS 217/5]

"Fire Equipment Employee" means an individual who is currently employed by a fire equipment distributor licensed under the Act, whose duties include servicing, recharging, hydrostatic testing, installing, maintaining or inspecting fire equipment.

"Fire Equipment Employee License" means a license issued to an individual employed by a fire equipment distributor and certified to service, recharge, install, maintain or inspect all types of fire suppression devices or systems in accordance with the conditions established by the Act and this Part.

"Governmental Authorities" means those entities that are a unit of government that enforce laws, regulations or ordinances within its specific geographical area. This includes, but is not limited to, fire departments, fire protection districts, and building departments.

"ICC" means the International Code Council.

"License" means a license issued by the Office pursuant to this Part.

"Maintenance" means the thorough examination of all components of fire equipment by a fire equipment employee to ensure the fire equipment will operate effectively and safely in accordance with the relevant NFPA standard or standards adopted in this Part.

"NAFED" means the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors.  [225 ILCS 217/5]

"NICET" means the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies.  [225 ILCS 217/5]

"NFPA" means the National Fire Protection Association.

"Office" means the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

"Officer" means an individual within a business who, if the business is a:

sole proprietorship, then the owner of the business or any individual exercising managerial control; or

partnership, then any partner who has at least 10% ownership interest or any partner who exercises managerial control; or

corporation or any other business entity, then any corporate officer or director of the corporation or any individual who has at least 10% ownership interest in such corporation or who exercises managerial control.

"Person" means an individual, group of individuals, association, trust, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, firm, business, person doing business under an assumed name, unit of local government or any other entity.

"Portable Fire Extinguisher" means a portable device, carried or on wheels and operated by hand, containing an extinguishing agent that can be expelled under pressure for the purpose of suppressing or extinguishing fire.

"Pre-Engineered Fire Suppression System" or "pre-engineered system" means a fire suppression system having predetermined flow rates, nozzle pressures, and quantities of extinguishing agents.  These systems may have specific pipe size, maximum and minimum pipe lengths, flexible hose specifications, number of fittings and number and types of nozzles prescribed by a testing lab.  The hazards protected by these systems are specifically limited as to type and size by a testing lab based upon actual fire tests.  Limitations on hazards that can be addressed by a system are contained in the manufacturer's installation manual, which is referenced as part of the listing.

"Requalifier Identification Number" or "RIN" means a code assigned by USDOT PHMSA to uniquely identify a cylinder requalification, repair, or rebuilding facility.

"Service" means work, including, but not limited to, recharging, repairing, installing, maintaining, inspecting, altering, and replacing fire equipment within the scope of the Act and this Part.

"Trainee" means an individual who is employed by a licensed fire equipment distributor and is training under the direct supervision of a licensed fire equipment employee who is licensed in the same class for which the trainee is training.

"USDOT PHMSA" means the United States Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 16058, effective October 26, 2023)