(1) No vendor or manufacturer shall knowingly transfer, sell, or offer for sale in this state to any fire department or firefighter any item of clothing or equipment designed and intended to protect firefighters from death or injury while fighting fires unless the item of clothing or equipment meets or exceeds the minimum standards established for such item of clothing or equipment by the National Fire Protection Association in effect at the time of such transfer, sale, or offer for sale.

(2) No fire department shall knowingly purchase and no fire department or firefighter shall knowingly accept from any vendor or manufacturer any item of clothing or equipment intended to protect firefighters from death or injury while fighting fires unless the item of clothing or equipment meets or exceeds the minimum standards established for such item of clothing or equipment by the National Fire Protection Association in effect at the time of such purchase or acceptance.

(3) Any person violating subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor.

(4) For purposes of this section:

(a) Clothing or equipment shall not include station or work uniforms or other items of personal clothing worn or intended to be worn under protective clothing or equipment while fighting fires; and

(b) Fire department means any paid or volunteer fire department, company, association, or organization or first-aid, rescue, or emergency squad serving a city, village, county, township, or rural or suburban fire protection district or any other public or private fire department.