(a) Any person assigned as an airport firefighter at any airport shall, as a minimum, meet the minimum physical fitness requirements as approved by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council.

(b) Any person assigned as an airport firefighter at any airport shall satisfactorily complete, within 60 days following such person's assignment, a course of instruction which shall be specifically developed by the Georgia Fire Academy for airport firefighters and approved by the council.

(c) As a minimum, the course of instruction for persons assigned to airports as airport firefighters shall meet the standards for airport firefighter professional qualifications, National Fire Protection Association, 1003, and shall also meet or exceed any standards, provisions, or requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration relating to airport firefighter training or qualifications. Firefighter requirements 1 and 2 of the National Fire Protection Association, 1001, are exempted.

(d) The Georgia Fire Academy shall develop the course of instruction with the advice of the Air Line Pilots Association Fire and Rescue Committee, the Aviation Committee of the National Fire Protection Association, the Federal Aviation Administration, at least two members of representative airport authorities, and other officials as selected or needed.

(e) When an airport firefighter satisfactorily completes the course of instruction prescribed in subsection (b) of this Code section, the executive director of the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council shall cause a certificate of satisfactory completion to be issued.

(f) In addition to the initial training, performance, and physical fitness requirements, an airport firefighter shall satisfactorily complete a reevaluation each calendar year thereafter. The reevaluation shall be conducted by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council or its designee. It shall include both written and performance tests, shall include, as a minimum, 50 percent of the performance standards of the National Fire Protection Association, 1003, and shall meet applicable Federal Aviation Administration performance standards.

(g) Fire officers who have attained the rank of lieutenant or higher and who have been assigned to an airport at least six months prior to July 1, 1980, are exempt from the minimum physical fitness requirements as referred to in subsection (a) of this Code section; however, such fire officers shall meet all other requirements of this Code section.