Senate Bill S4675

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4675

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to providing minimum
basic training related to handling emergency situations involving indi-
viduals with any physical and/or developmental disability to all fire-
fighters

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to require minimum basic training related to
handling emergency situations involving individuals with any physical
and/or developmental disability to all firefighters, both paid and
volunteer.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill would amend section 156 of the Executive Law and
require that the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, in coordination
with the Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disa-
              

bilities and the Chief Disability Officer, provide minimum basic train-
ing related to handling emergency situations involving individuals with
any physical and/or developmental disability to all firefighters, both
paid and volunteer. The Office of Fire Prevention and Control would also
be required to adopt all necessary rules and regulations related to this
training.

Section 2 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect immediately.

 
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 or does not take
into account individuals with disabilities within many of the most stan-
dard 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 that the Office of Fire Prevention and Control provide minimum basic
training related to handling emergency situations involving individuals
with any physical and/or developmental disability to all firefighters.

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:

2023-24: S.3190A (Mannion) - 2024 Amend & Recommit to Finance; 2023 - On
3rd Reading/ Committed to Rules/ A.1533-A (Buttenschon) - Passed Assem-
bly

2021-22: 5.7675 (Mannion) - Advanced to Third Reading.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.