Amendment addresses volunteer compensation

In early February, legislation co-sponsored by state Sen. John Yudichak, I-Luzerne/Carbon, was passed unanimously in the Pennsylvania State Senate to better protect volunteer emergency personnel throughout the commonwealth.

Senate Bill 94, introduced by state Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, ensures workers’ compensation coverage for all active volunteers and integral members of a volunteer fire, ambulance or rescue company insured through the State Workers Insurance Fund. The legislation would apply to 1,550 volunteer fire companies and 92 ambulance organizations that are insured by the insurance fund.

“Our volunteer emergency personnel are often the first and last line of defense when an emergency strikes. We need to be there for them if they are injured while performing their duties, and ensure they have a financial resource to make a full recovery,” Yudichak said. “Senate Bill 94 puts all our volunteers under one protective umbrella, and it will safeguard our first responders and those who provide operational support for our volunteer fire departments.”

“Any type of legislation that protects our volunteers is going to be looked at favorably by us,” said John McArdle, Nesquehoning fire chief and chairman of the Carbon County Fire Chiefs Association.

“I don’t know if the possibility of getting hurt as a volunteer firefighter and not being covered has been a deterrent to volunteer or not, but this legislation can certainly make a major impact with that issue. With the dwindling volunteer numbers, we need to protect our current volunteers, and also it’s important to try and attract new volunteers, and I think this can help with that,” McArdle said.

“I fully support this legislation and hope that it will be passed in the House. With the volunteer numbers down and the lack of volunteers, it’s important that we do whatever we can to retain the volunteers we do have,” said Wayne Nothstein, chairman of the Carbon County Commissioners and a 50-year member of the Lehighton Fire Department. “Our volunteers need to be protected; whether that’s on a call, during training or performing duties at a fundraising event. They can’t be worried about losing their income if they get hurt on the job as a volunteer firefighter.”

An amendment to the bill by state Sen. Christine Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, offered on behalf of Yudichak, was adopted unanimously when the Senate Labor & Industry Committee considered the bill last June. The amendment declares that whenever members of volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance corps, or rescue and lifesaving squad members are injured in the performance of duty on state game land, the members are considered to be employees of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Yudichak drafted the amendment because of volunteer emergency service personnel who have been injured on rescues at Glen Onoko Falls.

SB 94 has now been forwarded to the House Labor & Industry committee.