Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) joined Eric Day, Vice President of New York State Fire Coordinators Association, Scott Ewing, Past President of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Robbie Demarse, Director of Franklin County Emergency Services, as well as other emergency responders and local firefighting officials to call on the federal government to reconsider changes to the Occupation Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Emergency Response rule. Volunteer fire departments were not included in the process of creating these changes and will be negatively impacted by the new training requirements and standards and will cause many of them to close.

With over 70 percent of New Yorkers relying on volunteer firefighters for fire protection, these changes could lead to no emergency responders available to answer the call in our time of need. The Federal Register is accepting public comments on the proposals until July 21.

Comments may be submitted at this site: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/05/2023-28203/emergency-response- standard.

“These proposed changes will place an undue burden on volunteer fire departments across the North Country and they must be reconsidered,” said Assemblyman Jones. “These fire departments are already struggling to recruit and retain members on top of fundraising and applying for grants to update their equipment and facilities. They simply cannot afford more training requirements and regulations, and many will be forced to close. Our local volunteer firefighters and EMTs work incredibly hard to keep us safe and be there in our time of need but that is in jeopardy now with these proposed changes. To save our local emergency service providers, join me in expressing your concerns during the public comment period that ends on July 21.”

“We are 100% in favor of providing quality training and helping to keep firefighters safe,” said Scott Ewing. “What we are concerned with is the Proposed OSHA 1910.156 as currently written. We are asking OSHA to allow us to work with them to produce a new rule that is both technically and economically feasible and addresses areas of significant concern. OSHA has designed a one size fits all standard, that does not reflect the unique challenges and capacities of career, volunteer, and EMS organizations. This proposed rule would be extremely difficult, if not completely impossible, for small and rural fire departments and districts to comply with and could hinder an already short supply of fire and EMS providers.”