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NVFC Expresses Support for Legislation to Make Fire Police and Volunteer EMTs Eligible for PSOB

Published Date: 05.24.2011

Also Endorses Bill to Make Assaulting a Public Safety Officer a Factor in Death Penalty Cases 

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) recently sent letters endorsing separate pieces of legislation that would make fire police eligible for the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB), make volunteer and employee members of nonprofit EMS agencies eligible for PSOB, and make attacking a public servant a consideration in determining whether or not to impose the death penalty in capital murder cases.

On May 19, the NVFC sent a letter to Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) thanking him for introducing H.R. 1348, the Fire Police Fairness Act, which would make fire police officers killed or rendered permanently disabled due to an injury suffered in the line of duty eligible to receive PSOB. Fire police assist public safety agencies by performing traffic incident management duties at the scene of emergencies, drills, and planned special events. H.R. 1348 establishes “fire police officer” as a new category of public safety officer, defined as an individual who, “is serving in accordance with State or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency…” and “provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency; or at a planned special event.”

Also on May 19, the NVFC sent a letter to Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA) thanking him for introducing H.R. 815, the Justice for Public Servants Act, which would make killing a public safety officer, member of Congress, or congressional staffer while performing their official duties or because of the performance of their duties or because of their status as a public servant an aggravating factor in death penalty cases. The NVFC believes that it is only fair that stiffer penalties be imposed on criminals who target volunteer emergency responders and other public servants because of their service.

The Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act would make volunteer and employee members of private, nonprofit EMS agencies eligible for PSOB. The “Dale Long” bill language was included in the Senate version of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill. Both the House and Senate have passed FAA reauthorization legislation and both bills have been referred to a conference committee to work out differences between the two versions. On May 2 the NVFC sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate committees of jurisdiction, who are leading the conference committee negotiations, asking that they retain the Dale Long language. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is the original sponsor of the Dale Long bill.

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