WASHINGTON — An act that provides job security for volunteer emergency services personnel responding to major disasters was passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives.
The Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act, supported by the NVFC, will safeguard jobs of members who respond to a Presidentially-declared disaster for up to 14 days per calendar year.
There are more than 800,000 volunteer first responders throughout the United States and in the event of natural disasters this group is heavily relied upon. However, as working professionals, volunteer responders often suffer in their careers because of time spent in active response away from their jobs.
“This proposal, which is now well on its way to becoming law, will be a huge help to our first responders who respond to national disasters,” said New York Congressman Randy Kuhl, who co-sponsored the act. “First responders who arrived quickly in New York and Washington from all over the nation on September 11, 2001, as well as those who traveled to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, were integral to the success of the rescue and recovery missions performed there. We need to ensure that their jobs are protected, just like members of the National Guard and Reserves, when they get home after serving the nation.”
Although the act is slated for those responding in volunteer capacity, it does not cover “self responders” - those individuals who respond to an incident without being officially dispatched. The act also allows for employers of volunteer responders to obtain documentation of an official dispatch from incident commanders.
“Volunteer first responders shouldn’t be put in the position of having to choose between their jobs and responding to a major disaster,” said NVFC Executive Director Heather Schafer. “Passage of this bill eliminates the threat of termination or demotion.”
According to the NVFC, in order for the plan to work smoothly and effectively, pre-emergency planners must have a working knowledge of how many responders and other resources they have at their disposal and plan accordingly.
| Related Resources: View House bill H.R.1684 Read The Risks of Volunteering |