(a) The Office of Personnel Management may determine that the provisions of section 7(k) of the Act apply to certain categories of fire protection employees based on appropriate factors, such as the type of premium payments they receive (see § 551.501(a)(1) and (5) and § 551.541).

(b) Fire protection activities. Fire protection activities involve the performance of functions directly concerned with the response to and the control and extinguishment of fires; or performance of inspection of facilities and equipment for the primary purpose of reducing or eliminating fire hazards by trained firefighters eligible for reassignment to fire control and suppression or prevention duties; or provision of the primary (i.e., the first called) rescue and ambulance service in connection with fire protection functions.

(c) Engaged in fire protection activities. (1) An employee (including a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous materials worker) is considered engaged in fire protection activities for the purpose of determining possible application of section 7(k) of the Act as provided for in § 551.501(a)(1) and (5) and § 551.541 if the employee:

(i) Is trained in fire suppression, has authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression, and is employed by an organization with fire suppression as a primary mission; and

(ii) Is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

(2) Subject to the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the following types of employees are engaged in fire protection activities for the purpose of determining possible application of section 7(k) of the Act:

(i) Employees in positions properly classified in the Fire Protection and Prevention series, including any qualified firefighter who is assigned to perform support functions (e.g., communications or dispatching functions, equipment maintenance or repair) or who is transferred to an administrative or supervisory position within the fire protection activity, except when such administrative or supervisory work exempts the employee under executive, administrative, and professional considerations;

(ii) Employees in positions properly classified in other series, such as Forestry Technician, for whom fire protection functions constitute substantially full-time assignments throughout the year, or for the duration of a specified fire season within the year;

(iii) Temporary employees hired solely to perform fire suppression work on an as-needed basis;

(iv) Members of rescue and ambulance crews with fire suppression training, authority, and responsibility, who are part of a fire suppression organization, as described in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section; and

(v) Any other employee in any workweek in which the employee performs fire control or suppression work for 80 percent or more of the total hours worked.

(d) Not engaged in fire protection activities. Examples of types of employees who are not engaged in fire protection activities for the purpose of applying section 7(k) of the Act (as provided for in § 551.501(a)(1) and (5) and § 551.541) include the following:

(1) Professional engineers, engineering technicians, and similar employees involved in fire protection research or in the design and development of fire protection and prevention equipment and materials;

(2) Employees who perform functions that support fire protection activities but who are not trained, qualified firefighters eligible for reassignment to fire control and suppression or prevention duties. Supporting functions (such as maintenance of fire apparatus, equipment, alarm systems, etc., or communications and dispatching work or preparation of records and reports) are included when performed by firefighters but are not included when performed by mechanics, communications systems and radio operators, clerks, or other employees;

(3) Employees whose primary duties are not related to fire protection but who perform fire control or suppression work on an as needed basis, provided that the fire control or suppression work constitutes less than 80 percent of the employees' hours of work within any workweek; and

(4) Employees on rescue and ambulance crews who:

(i) Are not trained in fire suppression;

(ii) Do not have fire suppression authority and responsibility; or

(iii) Are employed by an organization, such as a hospital, that does not have fire suppression as a primary mission.