1. Fund established. The Live Fire Service Training Facilities Fund, referred to in this section as “the fund,” is established under the Maine Fire Service Institute within the Maine Community College System as a nonlapsing fund to provide funds to municipalities for the construction and repair or replacement of regional live fire service training facilities in the State.

2. Grant program. The Maine Fire Protection Services Commission, referred to in this section as “the commission” and established pursuant to Title 5, section 12004?J, subsection 12, shall establish criteria to award grants to municipalities from the fund, including a requirement that proposals be fully designed and approved by a licensed professional engineer as defined in Title 32, section 1251, subsection 4. The commission may adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2?A.

3. Procedure. Municipalities may apply to the commission for grants. The commission shall evaluate each application pursuant to the criteria developed in subsection 2 and, to the extent funds are available, shall award grants from the fund to support the construction and repair or replacement of regional live fire service training facilities.

4. Payment of grants. Upon the award of a grant by the commission, the commission shall direct the Maine Fire Service Institute to make the payment of the grant award to the municipality from the fund.