1999 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1233 – Firefighter safety standards

SENATE BILL NO. 1233

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Daily Data Tracking History



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

Bill Text


S1233


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fifth Legislature                 First Regular Session - 1999
                                                                        

                                      IN 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 / Fiscal Impact


                         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