53-6-302 - Applicants for certification examination -- Requirements.
53-6-302. Applicants for certification examination -- Requirements.
(1) Before being allowed to take a dispatcher certification examination, each applicantshall meet the following requirements:
(a) be a United States citizen;
(b) be 18 years of age or older at the time of employment as a dispatcher;
(c) be a high school graduate or have a G.E.D. equivalent;
(d) have not been convicted of a crime for which the applicant could have been punishedby imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or by imprisonment in the penitentiary of this oranother state;
(e) have demonstrated good moral character, as determined by a backgroundinvestigation; and
(f) be free of any physical, emotional, or mental condition that might adversely affect theperformance of the applicant's duty as a dispatcher.
(2) (a) An application for certification shall be accompanied by a criminal historybackground check of local, state, and national criminal history files and a backgroundinvestigation.
(b) The costs of the background check and investigation shall be borne by the applicantor the applicant's employing agency.
(i) Conviction of any offense not serious enough to be covered under Subsection (1)(d),involving dishonesty, unlawful sexual conduct, physical violence, or the unlawful use, sale, orpossession for sale of a controlled substance is an indication that an applicant may not be of goodmoral character and may be grounds for denial of certification or refusal to give a certificationexamination.
(ii) An applicant may be allowed to take a certification examination provisionally,pending completion of any background check or investigation required by this
Subsection (2)(b).
(3) (a) Notwithstanding Title 77, Chapter 40, Utah Expungement Act, regardingexpungements, or a similar statute or rule of any other jurisdiction, any conviction obtained inthis state or other jurisdiction, including a conviction that has been expunged, dismissed, ortreated in a similar manner to either of these procedures, may be considered for purposes of thissection.
(b) Subsection (3)(a) applies to convictions entered both before and after May 1, 1995.
(4) Any background check or background investigation performed pursuant to therequirements of this section shall be to determine eligibility for admission to training programs orqualification for certification examinations and may not be used as a replacement for anybackground investigations that may be required of an employing agency.
Amended by Chapter 283, 2010 General Session
Amended by Chapter 324, 2010 General Session