Volunteer Fire Depts Risk Closure With New OSHA Regulation
A new regulation in the approval process from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) could shut down up to 80% of volunteer fire departments across the nation.
The proposed OSHA regulation would “increase training requirements, require more pre-planning for emergency situations, set stricter limits on the lifespan of some firefighting equipment, and impose more rigorous health screenings for [fire] fighters,” according to KCUR, a public radio station in Kansas City.
Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran and Delaware Democrat Senator Chris Coons have cosigned a letter to acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su asking for exemptions to the regulation for volunteer fire fighters.
It may come as a surprise to some readers that over 85% of the nations fire departments are volunteer or mostly volunteer.
The added regulations proposed by OSHA would result in closure of many volunteer fire departments, reducing the safety of communities across the country.
We’re from the government, and we’re here to help you.
Marc is correct. My career; I was a First Responder.
A cop. I assisted a family from a burning home. Will you fine me for not having proper FF training or PPE?
So if I understand this properly, OSHA would prefer NO Volunteer Fire response b/c FFighters do not meet some “training standard?”
NFPA establishes the standards.
When your suburban or rural kitchen/house/garage is burning down; are your saying, “Please NO Volunteer ‘garden hoses’ on my fire? ” I want the
professionals?”
Save the marshmallows for the coals. F/Off OSHA.
OSHA. Who is your next target? EMTs? B/C they are not paramedics…
DJT. Clear Out the UNelected regulatory SWAMP!
I was a volunteers for over two decades on both the fire and EMS sides of the same houses. Training standards are important. But this is not an OSHA issue and it certainly isn’t a federal issue. In our state, and I would think most others, it was up to the State’s Firemarshall’s office to implement promulgate standards. And even then it was a standard, not a law or regulatory mandate.
Leave this up to the NFPA and the State’s firemarshalls and the various department Fire Chiefs. The feds should butt right out.
They are volunteers OSHA. mind your own business.