
RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE OF TRAINEES AT FIRETRACK CENTRE
I INTRODUCTION
- FIRETRACK is dedicated to the moral and intellectual development of its employees. In such a community, members must follow clear rules of conduct. The FIRETRACK Code of Conduct places a premium on personal integrity, with members expected to be honest, trustworthy, accountable, and honourable. Any conduct violation will result in formal disciplinary action, including expulsion, suspension, or prosecution under Kenyan law.
- The FIRETRACK management shall have the authority to interpret and apply these rules and regulations governing trainee conduct and discipline. Cases involving disciplinary action must first be handled by the Manager’s office. The Centre Management may also make rules and regulations governing the conduct and discipline of all FIRETRACK trainees. Changes to these rules and regulations must be approved by FIRETRACK Management.
II DEFINITIONS
Here are some definitions and their meanings as used in the rules and regulations.
Short-term holidays: Weekends and holidays are given to trainees.
Disciplinary action committee: Management committee set up to investigate trainee disciplinary actions
College/Centre: This term refers to the Fire and Rescue Centre Kenya.
Trainee: Any person admitted to the FIRETRACK for any course.
He– This refers to all trainees, male or female.
CRR– College rules and regulations
III PREAMBLE
- These rules are developed by FIRETRACK to regulate, govern, and administer the operation of the centre and its use of its facilities.
- The regulations apply to every trainee or boarder at the centre upon registration when boarding and throughout the duration of their stay.
- It applies to trainees undertaking short term or long-term programs at FIRETRACK centre.
- Before boarding, every Trainee/boarder must read these regulations and sign a declaration stating that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by them.
- Non-compliance with these rules may result in denial of registration/ boarding.
- A trainee may be required to sign a bond, guarantee, or undertaking of good conduct during his or her stay at FIRETRACK.
- For the purposes of these rules, a trainee is:
- Anyone officially admitted to a course of study at the centre
- All occasional trainees who are registered at another college but admitted to a FIRETRACK course.
- Trainees enrolled in FIRETRACK for courses or other qualifications approved by management
- Any other person deemed a trainee by Management
IV REGULATIONS ON CLASS ATTENDANCE
- All trainees must attend all classes.
- Trainees must arrive five minutes early for class.
- Class absenteeism is not tolerated. Trainees must attend classes. Any trainee found guilty of influencing other trainees to miss classes may face a suspension.
- Any trainee wishing to miss class must notify the Trainer. Absenteeism must be justified by reasonable reasons.
- Any trainee arriving ten minutes after the lesson has begun will be denied entry. The same trainee may be reported to the appropriate authority for further action.
- Classrooms must be silent.
- If necessary, classrooms may be used for sleeping, eating, relaxation and entertainment.
- Classes must be always kept clean by the trainees or group of trainees.
- Decent dressing is expected for all trainees
- No trainee may enter class wearing unsafe clothes
- Any trainee or group of trainees who violates any of the above rules will be subject to disciplinary action.
V ORGANISATION OF TRAINEES
- The FIRETRACK Trainees Organisation (FTO) shall be formed with the following objectives:
- To promote academic and social welfare of FIRETRACK trainees.
- Serve as a liaison between trainees, faculty, and administration.
- To promote academic welfare of FIRETRACK trainees
- Represent trainees’ views in various administrative consultative forums.
- Development, establishment, and encouragement of worthy social and academic traditions
- Cooperation with other trainee organisations within the centre and other higher education institutions as recognized by management.
- The Trainees Organisation shall not be dissolved except by a Board resolution after consultation with Management.
- The Trainees Organisation shall determine its own organs and procedures, including a constitution that will consist of the following:
- The organisation’s officers
- Their duties and powers
- Meeting frequency and procedures
- The organisation’s funding sources
- The intended use of the organisation’s funds
- How such traineesā organisations will be represented on various centre forums.
- The Trainees organisation is recognized by FIRETRACK management as a representative of the institution’s trainees.
- All meetings and other activities of the traineeās organisation (professional, academic, or otherwise) must be approved by the relevant centre authorities.
VI TRAINEES CONDUCT
The following provisions apply to trainee conduct within and outside the Centre’s precincts.
- GENERAL CONDUCT
All FIRETRACK trainees must:
- Follow the administrative and academic procedures established by FIRETRACK Order for the Centreās control, governance, and operations.
- Always respect the rights and privileges of the Centre community
- The Centre or any section or program of it should not be brought into disrepute, ridicule, or public odium.
- the dignity and humility that come with being mature and responsible citizens in all public places.
- No violence, hooliganism, unruly or rowdy behaviour or any conduct likely to disturb others within or outside the Centre.
- vi) At all times, including lectures, practicals, meals, and Centre functions, wear acceptable and appropriate attire.
- No motor vehicles on Centre property without Management permission. Permission will not be granted without a valid driver’s licence, road licence, and insurance certificate. Permission may be refused or withdrawn without explanation.
- Not tamper with fire-fighting equipment and only use it for that purpose.
- Avoid misusing, damaging, or destroying Centre property, for which such trainee or group of Trainees shall be fully responsible.
- Avoid being drunk or acting drunk in a way that disturbs other Centre trainees or staff.
- Avoid making noise that disturbs or annoys the Centre Community.
- Stop abusing drugs and stop using drugs that are illegal to possess or use.
- Only have official keys to rooms or buildings on campus.
- Avoid or cease tampering with official documents that may come into their possession.
- Not engage in fund-raising activities without written government approval and Centre Board approval.
- Not use Centre facilities for political purposes.
- Not use Centre telephone, printing, or mailing facilities for unauthorised purposes.
- Unauthorised removal of furniture or equipment from rooms/buildings requires written permission from the authorities.
- Individuals, clubs, societies, and Trainee organisations may not use the name āFIRETRACKā without prior written approval from the Management.
- CONDUCT WITH THE PUBLIC
In addition to any other liability, trainees are responsible to FIRETRACK for their interactions with the public and their conduct and utterances in matters of public concern such as:
- All trainees or traineesā association officials writing to the press or other mass media must include their names and private addresses.
- All public statements affecting the Centre must be approved in writing by the Manager.
- Government Ministers, foreign government representatives, and other public figures shall be invited to visit the Centre in their official capacity.
- ACADEMIC CONDUCT
All Trainees shall diligently pursue the courses of study approved by Management and for which they are registered. They shall:
- Unless there is an exceptional circumstance, attend all lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, and other scheduled courses or instructions.
- Absences from class for legitimate reasons, such as illness, must be permitted by the head of the relevant department upon presentation of documented evidence, such as a medical certificate.
- Abstain from any activity that has the objective or logical consequence of interfering with the Centre’s academic programs.
- Adhere to all other departmental standards governing the correct conduct of a specific program.
- Avoid plagiarism, cheating, or any other academic irregularity that could jeopardise the Centre’s academic standing.
Academic irregularities will be referred to the Academic Board for appropriate discipline.
- CONDUCT WHILE IN RESIDENCE
While in residence at the Centre, all Trainees must act responsibly and maturely and must adhere to the following:
- Adhere to the management’s list of assigned rooms; changes to assigned rooms, halls, or hostels will not be permitted unless with the Manager’s authorization. No Trainee shall be assigned a room unless and until he/she produces evidence that the competent authority has approved the request in advance.
- Shared rooms in addition to other shared facilities
- Allow visitors inside their rooms only between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Any extensions to these times will require Management consent, and the Halls’ doors will close at 10.30 p.m.
- No furniture or equipment may be removed from their rooms or any other portion of the halls, or from other areas inside the halls and catering services, except with the authorization of the head of the department involved.
- Exercise reasonable care with respect to the furniture, fixtures, and other items in the Halls of Residence. Replacement or repair of any of these things caused by the negligence of a Trainee or anyone associated with him shall be made at the Trainee’s expense.
- Before departing on vacation, surrender the keys to the rooms to the Halls Administrator. Any key or keys supplied to the Trainee that are lost or stolen shall be replaced at the Trainee’s expense.
- Use videotapes, radios, or any musical instruments in residence halls only if the sound does not disturb other residents and is played between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
- Unless otherwise specified in writing by the Management, leave all rooms on vacation. Permission will be granted solely on the advice of the authorities, and vocational residence and board will take place in a designated hall that has been approved in advance.
- Notify the Halls Administration of any absence from residence in the Halls. Without prior authorization from the Halls Administration, any Trainee who is absent from residence for a continuous period of two weeks is presumed to have forfeited his/her residence.
- A Trainee who intends to stay away from the Halls of Residence for a period exceeding seven days must receive written permission from Management and provide his/her contact information.
- Forfeit any fees paid/allocation to the Centre if he/she vacates his/her accommodation during the term unless a Medical Officer notifies the Centre authorities in writing.
- To abstain from cooking in the living halls.
VII TRAINEE WELFARE SERVICES
- Health
- In addition to complying with general health laws, all Trainees shall be obliged to adhere to any health requirements imposed by the Centre from time to time.
- Trainees must seek medical assistance for any situation that necessitates such services from medical providers.
- All cases of emergency or serious disease requiring medical assistance in the Halls of Residence must be immediately notified to the administration.
- In all instances of sickness-related absence from classes, the trainee will submit a report to the head of the
- department concerned.
- Without prior authorization and referral by management, the Centre will not reimburse medical expenditures incurred by a Trainee.
- Trainees must submit to medical examinations as requested by the Administration.
VIII THE DISCIPLINE OF TRAINEES
The following provisions shall apply to all disciplinary proceedings conducted against trainees for the disciplinary offences listed below, regardless of whether the offences occur within or outside the centre’s precincts.
- DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY
The Manager, acting on behalf of the Board, is the Centre’s disciplinary authority for the purposes of these regulations and may act in that capacity as follows:
- Modify or add to the list of specified disciplinary offences, but such modification or addition shall take effect only if approved by the Board at its next meeting.
- Suspend from the Centre any trainee accused of violating any disciplinary provision of this regulation, pending appropriate disciplinary action.
- Take any further measures or actions necessary to ensure the proper operation of the disciplinary procedures outlined in this section.
- DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES
All crimes and other offences punishable under Kenyan law, including the following:
- Any infringement of any of the rules and regulations governing and regulating the conduct of Centre Trainees
- Without limiting the breadth of the preceding requirements, the following behaviours shall constitute specific disciplinary violations under these regulations.
- Boycotting scheduled lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicalās, field trips, and other courses of instruction, as well as assaulting or threatening other trainees or faculty in preparation for or in support of such boycotts. Trainees who willfully miss more than 30% of scheduled lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicalās, and other instruction will be ineligible to appear for semester end tests.
- Assaults on staff members while they are doing official duties
- Possession of knives, swords, sticks, metal bars, or any other goods or weapons that could jeopardise the lives of faculty, trainees, or other individuals
- Picketing or organised obstruction of trainees or staff in any way
- Creating, publishing, and/or disseminating anonymous literature of a malicious or libellous nature, including placards.
- Attempting to devise, design, or implement any scheme or strategy of any nature with the objective or logical consequence of interfering with the proper operation of the Centre’s academic or other programs.
- Intentional or malicious harm to or loss of Centre property
- disruptive behaviour and molestation of other Centre members
- and/or interfering with or obstructing motor vehicles within or beyond the Centre’s perimeter.
- Admission of an unauthorised person(s) to the Residence Halls
- Any effort to convene or organise, or any participation or involvement in demonstrations, meetings, processions, or public ceremonies for which permission is required but has not been secured from Centre or Government authorities
- Being intoxicated and rowdy, as well as the abuse or use of drugs that are illegal to possess or consume. Involvement in academic affairs, examination leaks, or impersonation in Centre examinations.
- Cohabitation with another trainee of the opposite gender or with any other individual while residing at the Centre Halls of Residence
- Conviction in a Court of Law for the commission of a criminal offence of a nature that, in the opinion of Board, warrants expulsion from the Centre, notwithstanding any action taken by the police or law courts pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the Centre may take independent disciplinary action against any affected trainees.
- DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
- Academic Matters
According to the regulations of, the Academic Board shall receive and approve suggestions from departments and Examiners on a variety of subjects, including the following: –
- Who is eligible to sit for Centre examinations?
- Who is eligible to write extra examinations?
- Who is eligible to repeat which years?
- Who has violated examination requirements?
- Who should be removed from approved study programs?
The Academic Board’s judgement is final, subject to appeal to the Chairman of the Academic Board based on new evidence.
- General Disciplinary Matters
The manager shall constitute a Traineesā Disciplinary Committee with power to handle general offences.
- Meeting Of the Trainees Disciplinary Committee
The Chairman shall call a meeting of the Trainee(s) Disciplinary Committee to be held within 14 days of the report being received by him/her.
- Notice Of Meeting
- The Secretary shall notify the affected trainee and the complainant of the date and time of the meeting and of their right to be present and to call a witness or witnesses
- At all proceedings of a trainee Disciplinary Committee before which a trainee is summoned, the procedure adopted shall be determined by the Committee and the trainee shall be entitled to representation in person and not by any other person or lawyer.
- The Committee shall hold an inquiry but shall not be required to adhere to the rules of evidence or procedures as applied in a Court of law. However, the Committee shall ensure that both sides are heard and that persons required to be witnesses do not sit as members of the Committee
- The Committeeās decision shall be arrived at either by consensus or by simple majority of votes through secret ballot.
- THE TRAINEES’ DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE’S AUTHORITY
- Depending on the type and gravity of the offences committed and the evidence presented in support thereof, the Committee may impose one or more of the following measures and/or sanctions.
- To dismiss the trainee’s case
- To issue a letter of warning or reprimand, which shall become part of the trainee’s personal record and a copy of which shall be given to the trainee’s parent or guardian.
- To compel the trainee to compensate for any loss or damage to Centre property and/or to pay damages commensurate with the nature and gravity of the offence. iv) Suspend the trainee from the Centre for an extended length of time v) Expel the trainee from the living halls
- Any two or more of the preceding
- To impose any additional punishment or penalties that the Committee deems appropriate
- To recommend to the Board the expulsion of a trainee.
- Without regard for the trainee, the Board shall have the authority to expel a trainee who commits any or a combination of the following offences.
A Trainee who:-
- Banned or agitated against the boycott of lectures, tutorials, practicalās, or any other form of teaching or academic program
- Causes malicious or willful damage to Centre property
- Assaults any member of staff performing his/her duties
- Is found in possession of any drug or drugs whose possession is prohibited
- Is convicted by a court of law of any criminal offence serious enough to warrant expulsion from the Centre.
- The state’s sovereignty, along with the state security apparatus designed to protect it, encompasses the whole Republic, including the central region. As a result, the provisions of these regulations and any decisions made by the disciplinary Committee and the Centre shall not preempt or be construed as preempting the right of the Police or any member of the public so entitled to bring any action or institute criminal proceedings against any trainee in a Court of Law, nor shall anything herein preempt or be construed as preempting the right of the Police or any member of the public so entitled to bring any action or institute criminal proceedings against any trainee in a Court of Traineesā who appear before the Trainees’ Disciplinary Committee shall receive notification of the Committee’s decision within fourteen (14) days (14) after the conclusion of the proceedings.
- Traineesā have the right to appeal to the Manager against the disciplinary Committee’s decision if they believe they have been wronged, and such appeals must be made in writing within fourteen (14) days of the Committee’s decision being communicated.