Hoeven: OSHA Heeds Senators’ Call to Protect Volunteer Firefighters from Burdensome Regulations

Hoeven: OSHA Heeds Senators' Call to Protect Volunteer Firefighters from Burdensome Regulations

Senator Urges Local Emergency Responders to Provide Feedback on Agency Rulemaking

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) responded to calls from Hoeven and a bipartisan group of his colleagues, led by Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), to reevaluate and exempt volunteer fire departments from parts of a proposed rule that would put burdensome regulations on volunteer fire departments across the country. Earlier this year, OSHA proposed a new rule requiring fire departments to furnish new reports, trainings, equipment and health services, which would impose significant costs, particularly for volunteer departments that serve smaller and rural communities.

In response, Hoeven, Moran and their colleagues pressed Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su to exempt volunteer fire departments from parts of the proposed rule. The effort was joined by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Angus King (I-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

"For many departments, implementation of this rule would render significant shares of their equipment non-compliant. The financial burden associated with replacing that equipment and furnishing the reports, assessments, trainings, and health services required by the rule would be prohibitive for volunteer departments, whose budgets are already strained," wrote the senators. "It is our intention to insulate our volunteers and the communities they serve from the negative impacts of a regulation that could jeopardize their fire services. The rule must provide volunteer departments with the flexibility to perform their duties unencumbered by impracticable requirements."

This week, OSHA issued a statement that it is reevaluating the financial and regulatory impact the rule would have on volunteer firefighters: "OSHA has received comments in response to the [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking] NPRM from many stakeholders, including volunteer emergency responders, fire chiefs, trade organizations, and members of Congress, which raise serious concerns about the economic feasibility of the proposed standard for volunteer fire departments. OSHA takes these concerns seriously. This new information will help the agency make the necessary determinations about whether the proposed standard is feasible for volunteer organizations… OSHA is committed to taking steps in any final standard, consistent with the rulemaking record, to assess and minimize detrimental effects on volunteer fire departments. If supported by the record, this may include excluding voluntary emergency response organizations entirely based on these feasibility concerns."

The full statement from OSHA can be found here. OSHA will hold a public rulemaking hearing on November 12, 2024, and stakeholders are encouraged to provide comment for the hearing. Instructions for how to participate in the hearing are available on the Emergency Response rulemaking webpage: www.osha.gov/emergency-response/rulemaking.

-###-