Permits public employees who are volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers to leave work to respond to fire and ambulance calls without prejudice or loss of time

Title of bill

An act to amend the volunteer firefighters' benefit law and the volunteer ambulance workers' benefit law, in relation to leave from work for municipal employees responding to fire and ambulance calls

Purpose

This bill would permit public employees who are volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers to leave work to respond to fire and ambulance calls without prejudice or loss of time.

Summary of provisions

Both the Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law and the Volunteer Ambulance Workers' Benefit Law are amended by adding new sections setting conditions to allow public employees who arc active volunteer firefighters or members of a volunteer ambulance company to miss work time without jeopardizing their employment.

The criteria that must be met for an employee to avoid prejudice to his employment are: (1) if requested by the public employer, an employee must submit a written statement from the volunteer fire department's chief or the volunteer ambulance company's chief officer that such an employee responded to a call and specify date, time and duration of response, and (2) the leave from work does not result in public employer's failure to meet minimum staffing levels.

Justification

Some volunteers in fire/ambulance companies must charge time to their accrues when leaving work due to an emergency response. This measure provides criteria that must be met to protect the public employers and allow an employee to volunteer in an emergency without jeopardizing employment opportunities.

Legislative history

S.3591 - 2007, Local Government

Fiscal implications

None to state

Effective date

Immediately.