BILL NUMBER: S5741

SPONSOR: PALUMBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act permitting the town board of the town of East Hampton to provide
health insurance coverage for enrolled members of the East Hampton
Volunteer Ocean Rescue and Auxiliary Squad

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation recognizes the work and commitment of the East Hampton
Volunteer Ocean Rescue and Auxiliary squad by permitting the town of
East Hampton to extend health insurance coverage to enrolled members..

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Permits the town of East Hampton to provide health insurance
coverage for enrolled members of the East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue
and Auxiliary Squad and their families. The total cost of participation
shall be borne by the volunteers.

              

Section 2. Sets for the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue and Auxiliary Squad (EHVOR) has
been responding to water emergencies 24 hours a day 365 days a year
since 2003. Their mission is to make expedient and safe water rescues
year round at all unprotected beaches in East Hampton town.

Over the last few years, the leadership of EHVOR has worked very hard to
organize and structure the squad in a manner similar to fire depart-
ments. They have created and adopted standard operating procedures
(SOPs), bylaws as well as an updated emo of nderstanding (MOU) with the
town of East Hampton and the village of East Hampton.  The chain of
command consists of chiefs, captains and lieutenants with three squads
out of Montauk, Amagansett and East Hampton village. Each of these
squads are set up with jet ski response vehicles for year round service
and all of the Suffolk County volunteer lifeguards that serve as members
of EHVOR are certified in (NIMS) Nation Incident Management System so
they are able to respond to multi-agency calls like the recent plane
crash in Quogue. Members responded and supported operations hand-in-hand
with the Coast Guard and other emergency organizations.

They train year round for all types of water emergencies and have start-
ed to expand training/expertise to other advance water rescues like
swift water rescues for flood situations.

In 2020, the state legislature enacted a special act for New York State
to recognize the critical life-saving functions and services carried out
by EHVOR. The town of East Hampton was authorized to designate EHVOR, by
the adoption of a resolution by the town board, as an emergency rescue
and first aid squad under section 209-b of the general municipal law
(Chapter 147 of the laws of 2020). Now designated members may utilize
green emergency lights when on route to rescue calls.

To continue to recognize these valuable services and bolster recruitment
and retention efforts, this legislation will permit the town of East
Hampton to provide EHVOR members and their families, health insurance
coverage. Those volunteers choosing coverage in the village's plan will
bear the total cost of participation. Currently, subdivision 7 of
section 92-a of the general municipal law extends this benefit to
EHVOR's emergency responder counterparts in the volunteer fire and
volunteer ambulance services.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.