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Workers' Compensation
Alabama
According to state statute, municipalities may choose to provide workers' compensation for their volunteers. Individual programs are administered by local governments.
Alaska A political subdivision may elect to provide benefits and compensation to its volunteer firefighters. It must obtain insurance that would provide benefits and compensation at least equivalent to those provided by the state. If a volunteer firefighter is injured in the line of duty, the computation shall be based on the minimum gross weekly earnings paid a fulltime firefighter employed in the political subdivision where the injury occurred or other similar formula. It must be equal to or greater than the minimum wage computed on the basis of a 40-hour week.

Contact: Alaska Division of Workers' Compensation. PO Box 115512, Juneau, AK 99811. Phone: (907) 465-2790. www.labor.state.ak.us/wc/wc.htm.
Arizona Disabled volunteers receive 67% of their normal salary. The benefit is non-taxable after the first seven days.

Contact: Arizona State Compensation Fund. 3030 North Third Street, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85012-3009. Phone: (602) 631-2000. Toll Free: 1-800-231-1363. Fax: (602) 631-2213.
Arkansas N/A
California Fire departments can contract with the State Compensation Insurance Fund or private insurers.
Colorado Employee definition includes all members of volunteer fire departments while they are performing duties as a volunteer and while engaged in organized drills, training, and practice necessary to perform their duties. The rate of compensation of persons accidentally killed or injured while serving as a volunteer firefighter shall be at the maximum rate.

Contact: Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation. 633 17th Street, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202. Phone: (303) 318-8700 or 1-888-390-7936. www.coworkforce.com.
Connecticut Volunteers are eligible for workers compensation for line-of-duty injuries that cause full disability. The benefit is based on the wages of the volunteer firefighter from their regular employment.
Delaware Volunteers receive payments for disabilities received in the line of duty, including traveling to and from rescue operations. Those with permanent disabilities receive $500 per month plus an additional $50 per month for each child under the age of 18. Amount may be reduced if the volunteer receives payment for the same disability from another governmental organization.
Florida With regards to workers' compensation, volunteer firefighters responding to or assisting with fire or medical emergencies are considered employees of the municipality. Volunteers injured in the line-of-duty receive two-thirds of their average weekly wages from regular employment up to 700 weeks or for the duration of the disability.
Georgia Volunteers are eligible for a monthly disability benefit for injuries sustained while on-duty. Firefighter must have been a member of the fund for at least ten consecutive years in order to qualify. The firefighter's average weekly wages are assumed to be the average weekly earnings of production workers in manufacturing industries for the preceding calendar year.
Hawaii If a volunteer firefighter is injured in the line of duty, he or she is entitled to compensation and for the purposes of compensation is considered to have earned wages for his or her services. The assumed wages of the volunteer are based on the volunteer's earnings from regular employment or earnings at the rate of $18 per week, whichever is greater.
Idaho Local municipalities provide workers' compensation coverage through the State Insurance Fund at the same rate as career firefighters receive.

Contact: Idaho State Insurance Fund. 1215 W. State St., PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0044. Phone: (208) 332-2100. Toll Free: 1-800-334-2370.
Illinois N/A
Indiana Each municipality must provide coverage for volunteers. This covers medical expenses, but not lost wages. There is no weekly benefit if volunteer cannot return to his/her vocation. Worker's compensation only covers line of duty injuries.

Contact: Office of Workers' Compensation. Phone: (317) 232-3809.
Iowa There is no state program, although many municipalities contract with private companies to provide compensation.
Kansas All medical expenses are paid for line of duty injury. Disabled volunteers receive 112.5% of the gross average weekly wage of Kansas workers. The current benefit is $432 per week.

Contact: Kansas Division of Workers Compensation. Department of Human Resources, 800 SW Jackson, Suite 600, Topeka, KS 66612-1227. Phone: (785) 296-2996.
Kentucky By state statute, volunteers who suffer a permanent disability in the line of duty are eligible for a monthly payment of $400. This amount may be reduced if the volunteer already has life or health insurance provided at no cost.
Louisiana The State Fire Marshal may provide workers' compensation to volunteer firefighters. For the purpose of determining the amount of disability due to an injured volunteer, the volunteer's wages are considered to be the federal minimum wage or actual wages earned in the volunteer's regular employment. Total disability benefits may not exceed 520 weeks.

Contact: Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal. 8181 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Phone: (800) 256-5452.
Maine Volunteers are eligible for workers' compensation. For this purpose, their average weekly wages are considered to be their wages from regular employment. The amount of the benefit depends on the severity and permanence of the disability.
Maryland Volunteer firefighters may be considered employees for the purposes of workers' compensation if they are injured as a direct result of actively participating in fighting a fire or traveling to or from a fire. The Board of Trustees of the Maryland State Firemen's Association will determine the amount and manner of payment for such injuries.
Massachusetts Firefighters are not part of the workers compensation system. State law requires municipality to pay all medical expenses of injured firefighters. State law requires disability payments to most volunteers for permanent disabilities equal to 2/3rds to 100% of local average career firefighter salaries. 
Michigan
Michigan firefighters must be covered by workers' compensation. The amount of the award is based on the state average wage and the severity and permanence of the injury.

Contact: Bureau of Workers' & Unemployment Compensation. PO Box 30016, Lansing, Michigan 48909. Phone: 1-888-396-5041.
 
Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, PO Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0169.
Minnesota Workers' compensation covers all firefighters disabled in the line of duty. Benefits are based on the wages earned by paid employees performing similar services at the time of injury. The amount is based on extent and permanence of disability.

Contact: Workers' Compensation Division, State Department of Labor and Industry. 443 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone: (651) 284-5005 or (800) 342-5354.
Mississippi There is no state program, but some municipalities provide workers' compensation for volunteers injured in the line of duty.
Missouri N/A
Montana Volunteer firefighters are eligible for workers' compensation so long as the trustees of the fire district or the county choose to include them as employees. In this case, the volunteer's wages for the purposes of determining a disability benefit are considered to be the state average weekly wage multiplied by the number of volunteer hours divided by forty hours, subject to the state minimums and maximums.
Nebraska All fire departments are required to provide workers' compensation for volunteers. For volunteer firefighters, the amount is based of the wages earned in their regular employment. For those without regular employment, the amount is based on an assumed wage of 150% of the maximum compensation rate for total disability. Firefighters must be injured in the line of duty or en route to or from a fire call in order to qualify.
Nevada The maximum benefit to those injured in the line of duty is 2/3 of the deemed firefighter wage. Individual districts, counties and towns have established disability wages for volunteers. Each department must provide workers' compensation for its members; each can choose a third party with which to contract in order to provide coverage.
New Hampshire Volunteers who are permanently disabled in the line-of-duty are eligible for compensation. The average weekly wage for a volunteer is considered to be the amount that entitles the volunteer to the state's average weekly wage as a maximum benefit.

Contact: Workers' Compensation Division, New Hampshire Department of Labor. 95 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301. Phone: (603) 271-3177. www.labor.state.nh.us.
New Jersey State law mandates that all workers are covered by workers' compensation. Each district or department must contract with its own insurance carrier.
New Mexico There is no benefit offered through the state, although worker's compensation is available at the municipal level in some cases.
New York According to the New York State Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law, local municipalities must provide workers' compensation for volunteer firefighters who are injured in the line-of-duty or traveling to or from an emergency. Firefighters receive $400 monthly for permanent total disability, $125 for temporary total disability, and $95 monthly for permanent partial disability. There is no compensation for injuries received due to intoxication or willful intention of the firefighter to injure himself or another.
North Carolina N/A
North Dakota For the purposes of workers' compensation, volunteer firefighters are considered employees of the municipalities that they serve. The amount of their disability benefits is based on their earnings from regular employment.
Ohio Benefit is 2/3 of employee's average weekly wage in their regular employment. This is based on total earnings from all employers during the year prior to the injury. Minimum and maximum amounts apply and are adjusted annually.

Contact: Bureau of Workers' Compensation. 30 West Spring Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2256. Phone: (800) 644-6292. www.ohiobwc.com.
Oklahoma
Weekly benefit is 70% of the deceased's average weekly wage from regular employment or the State's Average Weekly Wage of $577 (whichever is lower) for spouse and additional 15% for each child, not to exceed the State's Average Weekly Wage of $577 for the family. The maximum weekly benefit is the state's average weekly wage. Upon remarriage, the spouse receives a two-year lump sum and benefits terminate. Unmarried children are considered dependents until age 18, age 23 if a full-time student, or longer if incapable of self-support.
 
Oklahoma Department of Labor
Workers' Compensation Division
Oregon Individual departments contract with workers' compensation insurance carriers. By state statute, departments are required to carry insurance with a minimum assumed wage of $1,500 and a maximum assumed wage of $2,400 for volunteers.
Pennsylvania By state law, local governments are required to provide workers' compensation for their volunteer firefighters, either through the state or through private insurers.

The state also that provides both career and volunteer emergency service responders with workers' compensation benefits if they contract Hepatitis C.
Rhode Island Members of volunteer fire companies who are partially or wholly incapacitated by line-of-duty injuries can receive a regular monthly payment of $100 or less from the Board of Firefighters' Relief.
South Carolina Municipalities may choose to join the State Accident Fund at a cost.
South Dakota Volunteers are eligible for workers' compensation line-of-duty injuries. For the purposes of compensation, the volunteer is considered to be earning a wage that would entitle him or her to the maximum compensation allowed by the state.

Contact: Division of Labor and Management, South Dakota Department of Labor. Kneip Building, Third Floor, 700 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2291. Phone: (605) 773-3681.
Tennessee None.
Texas Volunteer firefighters are eligible for state workers' compensation, if their municipality or fire district chooses to participate. There are some grants available from the Forest Service to fund workers' compensation.

Contacts: Texas Forest Service. 301 Tarrow, Suite 364, College Station, TX 77840-7896. Phone: (979) 458?6600. Fax: (979) 458?6610.
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission. Southfield Building, 4000 S. IH-35, Austin, TX 78704-7491. Phone: (512) 804-4000.
Utah Volunteer firefighters are eligible for line-of-duty disability benefits. For these purposes, the lowest monthly compensation for a career firefighter of a city of the first class is considered the final average monthly salary of the volunteer firefighter. The monthly benefit is 50% of this amount.
Vermont Volunteers are eligible for workers' compensation in the event of a line-of-duty injury. The average weekly wage of a volunteer firefighter is the volunteer's average weekly wage from regular employment, although minimums and maximums apply.
Virginia Volunteer firefighters may be considered employees of the municipality with regards to workers' compensation if the municipality has adopted a resolution allowing this. In this case, they are eligible for disability pensions depending on the severity and permanence of the injury.
Washington A volunteer's medical bills are covered if injuries are sustained in the line of duty. Disability compensation to a maximum of $2,757.20 for first six months that volunteer is unable to perform his/her regular job. After the first six months, the volunteer can receive disability compensation if he or she is unable to perform any work for profit. This compensation is $1378.60 per month, plus additional $275.72 if married and $118.94 for each child under the age of 18. Cost of living is adjusted annually.

Contact: Board for Volunteer Firefighters and Reserve Officers. Olympia Forum Building, 605 E 11th Avenue #112, PO Box 114, Olympia, WA 98507. Phone: (360) 753-7318. Toll Free: (877) 753-7318. Fax: (360) 586-1987. www.bvff.wa.gov.
West Virginia Departments or municipalities provide coverage through the Workers' Compensation Division. The amount of the benefit is dependent upon the volunteer's regular employment, taking minimums and maximums into account.

Contact: West Virginia Workers' Compensation Division. Phone: 1-800-628-4265.
Wisconsin Volunteer firefighters must have workers' compensation provided by either their department or their municipality. For the purposes of compensation, their pay is presumed to be 60% of the wages of full-time firefighters in the nearest municipality. The amount of the benefit depends on the severity and permanence of the disability.
Wyoming All fire departments are required to cover their firefighters for workers compensation through the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. The amount of the monthly payment depends on the severity and permanence of the injury. The firefighters wages are assumed to be the statewide average wage for the twelve months preceding the injury.

Contact: Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. 122 West 25th Street, Herschler Building, 2E, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: (307) 777-8650. Fax: (307) 777-5857.