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S06415 Summary:

S06415 Actions:

S06415 Committee Votes:

S06415 Floor Votes:

S06415 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          6415
 
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                      May 17, 2017
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sens. HELMING, RITCHIE -- (at request of the Legislative
          Commission on Rural Resources) -- read twice and ordered printed,  and
          when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend the general municipal law, in relation to authorizing
          firefighters who are members of a fire company or department of anoth-
          er state to provide assistance to volunteer fire companies or  depart-
          ments in this state
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 209-i of the general municipal law  is  amended  by
     2  adding a new subdivision 1-c to read as follows:
     3    1-c.  A member of a fire company or department of another state who is
     4  regularly in an area served by a volunteer fire company or fire  depart-
     5  ment  may  volunteer  their  services  on an on-going basis to such fire
     6  company or fire department for the purpose of assisting such company  or
     7  department's general or emergency ambulance services, or for the purpose
     8  of  assisting  such  fire  company or fire department at a fire or other
     9  emergency scene or for the purpose of training with such fire company or
    10  fire department, provided that such company or department is  authorized
    11  to  accept  such  services  by  the  governing  body  of the city or the
    12  village, the board of fire commissioners or other governing board of the
    13  fire district, or the town board of the town in relation to (a) the fire
    14  companies serving territory outside villages and fire districts or (b) a
    15  town fire department, as the case may be. Upon application by an out-of-
    16  state firefighter, a fire company or  fire  department  shall  determine
    17  whether such out-of-state firefighter meets state and local requirements
    18  for  active  members  of their company or department, including, but not
    19  limited to, compliance with a background check pursuant to section eight
    20  hundred thirty-seven-o of the executive law, and  whether  such  out-of-
    21  state  firefighter  is in good standing with the fire company or depart-
    22  ment in which they normally serve. If a volunteer fire company  or  fire
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10957-03-7
        S. 6415                             2
 
     1  department  accepts  the  services  of such an out-of-state firefighter,
     2  such firefighter shall be entitled to all powers, rights, privileges and
     3  immunities granted by law to volunteer firefighters during the time such
     4  services  are  rendered, in the same manner and to the same extent as if
     5  such firefighter were a volunteer member of the  fire  company  or  fire
     6  department  being assisted, including benefits under the volunteer fire-
     7  fighters' benefit law, provided, however, such firefighter shall not  be
     8  eligible  to  participate  in  a  service award program as authorized by
     9  articles eleven-A and eleven-AAAA of this chapter nor shall  such  fire-
    10  fighter be eligible for coverage under section eleven-c of the volunteer
    11  firefighters'  benefit  law relating to diseases of the lung and section
    12  sixty-one of the volunteer firefighters' benefit law relating to disease
    13  or malfunction of heart or coronary arteries and any  other  presumptive
    14  coverage  for  impairment  of  health  or death. Upon acceptance of such
    15  out-of-state firefighter to a fire  company  or  fire  department,  such
    16  company  or department shall provide to the applicant, and the applicant
    17  shall acknowledge receipt of, the following  written  statement:  "If  a
    18  volunteer  fire  company  or  fire  department accepts the services of a
    19  firefighter who is a member of a fire department or a company of another
    20  state, such firefighter shall be entitled to all powers, rights,  privi-
    21  leges and immunities granted by law to volunteer firefighters during the
    22  time  such  services  are  rendered,  in the same manner and to the same
    23  extent as if such firefighter were a volunteer member of the fire compa-
    24  ny or fire department  being  assisted,  including  benefits  under  the
    25  volunteer firefighters' benefit law, provided, however, such firefighter
    26  shall  not  be  eligible  to  participate  in a service award program as
    27  authorized by articles 11-A and 11-AAAA of the  general  municipal  law,
    28  nor  shall  such  firefighters  be  eligible  for coverage under section
    29  eleven-c  of  the  volunteer  firefighters'  benefit  law,  relating  to
    30  diseases  of  the  lung,  and  section 61 of the volunteer firefighters'
    31  benefit law, relating to disease or malfunction  of  heart  or  coronary
    32  arteries, and any other presumptive coverage for impairment of health or
    33  death."
    34    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.