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S1233................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES FIREFIGHTER SAFETY - Adds to existing law to provide a declaration of purpose; and to adopt safety standards for the protection of firefighters operating in hazardous areas at emergency incidents. 02/22 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 02/23 Rpt prt - to Com/HuRes
S1233|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session - 1999IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1233 BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO FIREFIGHTER SAFETY; AMENDING TITLE 44, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION 3 OF A NEW CHAPTER 26, TITLE 44, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE A DECLARATION OF 4 PURPOSE AND TO ADOPT SAFETY STANDARDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF FIREFIGHTERS 5 OPERATING IN HAZARDOUS AREAS AT EMERGENCY INCIDENTS; AND DECLARING AN 6 EMERGENCY. 7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 8 SECTION 1. That Title 44, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby amended 9 by the addition thereto of a NEW CHAPTER , to be known and desig- 10 nated as Chapter 26, Title 44, Idaho Code, and to read as follows: 11 CHAPTER 26 12 FIREFIGHTER SAFETY 13 44-2601. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE. In recognition that firefighters 14 responding to emergency incidents often place themselves at risk of serious 15 personal injury or death in the course of attempting to protect the health, 16 lives and property of the citizenry, it is hereby declared the public policy 17 of the state that all regularly constituted fire departments in any city, 18 county, fire district or political subdivision within the state shall take 19 reasonable precautions, consistent with national consensus standards, to safe- 20 guard the health and lives of fire department members in the course of their 21 emergency duties. 22 44-2602. MINIMUM SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FIREFIGHTERS OPERATING IN HAZARDOUS 23 AREAS AT EMERGENCY INCIDENTS. Not later than July 1, 1999, all regularly con- 24 stituted fire departments in any city, county, fire district or political sub- 25 division within the state of Idaho shall adopt and comply with sections 6-4.3 26 through 6-4.4.5 of chapter 6 (emergency operations) of the 1997 edition of 27 NFPA 1500, standard on fire department occupational safety and health program, 28 published by the national fire protection association (NFPA). For purposes of 29 application of this section, terms contained in sections 6-4.3 through 6-4.4.5 30 of the 1997 edition of NFPA 1500 shall have the same meaning as set forth in 31 section 1-5 (definitions) of chapter 1 of the 1998 edition of NFPA 1500. 32 SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby 33 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its 34 passage and approval.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 09112
This legislation seeks to help protect public sector firefighters
by putting in place certain national consensus minimum safety
standards for firefighters operating in hazardous areas at
emergency incidents.
In particular, this bill will require that no later than July 1,
1999, all regularly constituted fire departments in any city,
county, fire district or political subdivision within the State
shall adopt and comply with the so-called two-in/two-out
provisions of the 1997 edition of NFPA 1500, the Standard on Fire
Department Occupational Safety and Health Program published by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In general, with the
exception of situations involving an imminent lifethreatening
situation where immediate action could prevent the loss of life or
serious injury, the two-in/two-out system, which has also been
adopted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), requires that in all emergency responses requiring entry
into a hazardous area such as a burning structure there shall be a
minimum of two firefighters to work as a team inside the
structure, and a minimum of two firefighters on standby outside
the structure to provide assistance or perform rescue, as needed.
While this legislation imposes no minimum staffing requirements or
obligations on fire departments, it does address the number
and functions of firefighters required to safely initiate an
interior attack at a structure fire. Under the two-in/two-out
system, absent an imminent life-threatening situation where
immediate action could prevent the loss of life or serious
injury, fire fighters responding to an emergency incident
involving a hazardous environment are generally constrained to
staging and exterior suppression activities until such time as
there are adequate personnel available at the fire scene to
safely initiate an interior attack.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no fiscal impact to the General Fund.
CONTACT
Name: Dennis Doan
Organization: Professional Fire Fighters of Idaho
Phone: 288-1237
Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Impact
S1233