Procedure

Procedure 1. The board staff shall review all the information available on each telecommunication’s class and determine the eligibility and amount of reimbursement to each agency. A. The staff shall maintain a running balance of available funds which come from a service charge of Five Cents ($.05) which is placed on each subscriber phone line within the State of Mississippi as of July 1, 2993 (Mississippi Code 19-5-357 (1). The proceeds generated shall be primarily used to fund the minimum standards training program for public safety telecommunicators within the State. (Mississippi Code 19-5-357 (5). B. The course instructors shall provide the staff an official roster of students within five working days of the day the class ends. The roster shall include the name, last four (4) digits of social security number and agency of each student for each day of instruction. C. The course instructor shall notify the staff of any withdrawals or dismissals from training during the course of the program. The notification shall include whether the telecommunicator withdrew or was dismissed and the reason (i.e. - deficiency in academics). If the telecommunicator was dismissed for a violation of course rules and regulations, the course instructor must provide a written report of the investigation into the incident. D. Once the class is completed, the course instructor shall prepare a course roster which shall positively indicate that all students have met the course requirements (i.e., hours attended, test score). Course instructors shall grade each student’s test (passing score 70% for electives) and provide the staff with a copy of the test. Once the students complete the requirements, the course instructor shall issue a certificate of course completion to the student and notify the staff in writing. This notification must be received prior to any further certification processing or reimbursement. E. The agencies in which the newly trained emergency telecommunicators are employed shall submit a Reimbursement Worksheet to the Board completely filled out, signed, and dated upon completion of the course. The agencies shall submit a Course Evaluation Form completed by the telecommunicator on each course completed. F. The staff will determine the amount of the reimbursement based on the total of: Board approved training costs, the applicant’s documented base weekly salary, round trip mileage from the agency to the course location and lodging and meals (if applicable). Reimbursement, not to exceed the maximum daily allowance under state law, will be determined by the presence of all required forms, information, and compliance with the Emergency Telecommunications Training Program. G. After determining eligibility and amount of reimbursement, the board staff shall complete a “Claim for Reimbursement Form” and submit the form to the agency head for review. The form shall contain the name and other personal data of the trainee, course attended, tuition, salary, and travel costs (meals and food if applicable). The agency head shall review the form, sign, and return the form within five working days of receipt. Any discrepancies, corrections or misinformation on the form should be annotated/corrected and the form returned unsigned. The staff shall correct the form and return it to the agency. It is imperative that this form be processed without delay as it is the basis for any funds the agency receives. H. The staff will submit the Claim for Reimbursement to the Department of Finance and Administration for payment. The Board will maintain a copy of the claims and the warrants of payment in the board files. I. Agencies should receive payment within forty-five (45) days of returning the “Claim for Reimbursement Form”. If not, notify the Board staff. History - Adopted – 07/1993; rev 05/2006, 07/2007, 10/2007, 10/2008, 10/2013, 08/2014, 04/2016, 08/2019, 05/2021, and 12/2022