Senate Bill S7675

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7675

SPONSOR: MANNION
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing training
and education practices for firefighters and first responders to protect
and assist mobility limited and intellectually challenged individuals
during an emergency situation

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation would require the division of homeland security and
emergency services to establish best practices for first responders and
firefighters to assist individuals with disabilities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amend section 709 of the executive law. Requires DHSES to
their current offerings of best practices regarding firefighter and
emergency response training and education to include skills and tech-
niques necessary to protect individuals with disabilities
              

Section 2. Effective Date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

For too much of this nation's history, individuals with disabilities
have been overlooked in mostly every facet of our civic life. As a
result, language and direction is often not offered for or does not take
into account - individuals with disabilities within many of the most
standard of societal procedures and practices. This legislation would
ensure that first responders have access to training and best practices
on techniques to protect both mobility limited and intellectually chal-
lenged individuals during an emergency situation; it does so by requir-
ing the division of homeland security and emergency services to estab-
lish best practices for first responders and firefighters to assist
individuals with disabilities.

This legislation will lead to a safer world for individuals with disa-
bilities by ensuring that they are taken into account and not overlooked
in our planning for - and procedures during - an emergency situation.
Furthermore, the legislation will support firefighters and other first
responders by ensuring access to the standard and best practices that
they may require in an emergency situation.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.