S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8658
I N S E N A T E
March 28, 2022
___________
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- (at request of the Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Services) -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend chapter 258 of the laws of 2020 relating to directing
the office of fire prevention and control within the division of home-
land security and emergency services to form a task force and issue a
report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention, in
relation to the submission date of such report and to the effective-
ness thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Sections 1 and 2 of chapter 258 of the laws of 2020, relat-
ing to directing the office of fire prevention and control within the
division of homeland security and emergency services to form a task
force and issue a report relating to volunteer firefighter recruitment
and retention, as amended by chapter 7 of the laws of 2021, are amended
to read as follows:
Section 1. New York state volunteer firefighter recruitment and
retention task force. There is hereby created the volunteer firefighter
recruitment and retention task force whose membership shall consist of
the chair to be appointed by the governor; the state fire administrator
or his or her designee; the commissioner of education or his or her
designee; the chancellor of the state university of New York or his or
her designee; the commissioner of taxation and finance or his or her
designee; the commissioner of labor or his or her designee; nine members
appointed by the governor; the president of the Fireman's Association of
the State of New York or his or her designee; the president of the Asso-
ciation of Fire Districts or his or her designee; the president of the
New York State Association of Fire Chiefs or his or her designee; the
president of the New York State Fire Coordinators or his or her desig-
nee; two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two
members appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member appointed
by the minority leader of the senate; and one member appointed by the
minority leader of the assembly. The task force shall report to the
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14573-01-2
S. 8658 2
governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the
senate no later than [one year after the effective date of this act]
DECEMBER 31, 2022. Such report shall include, but not be limited to,
recommendations concerning:
1. Firefighter 1 training, and all other firefighter training offered
by the office of fire prevention and control, and delivery methods to
enhance and streamline training including the use of distance learning;
2. The utilization of community colleges, BOCES or state accredited
high schools to train firefighters and the creation of pilot programs
within community colleges or BOCES that will offer Firefighter 1 certif-
ication upon completion;
3. The feasibility and necessity of creation of a bureau within the
office of fire prevention and control responsible for recruitment and
retention of volunteer firefighters;
4. Tax incentives and volunteer firefighter benefits currently
provided and recommendations as to these or new programs;
5. Analysis of current recruitment and retention programs successfully
being utilized by other states and recommendations as to adoption of
similar programs in New York; and
6. Identification and recruitment incentives to assist in the recruit-
ment of volunteer firefighters from under-represented and at-risk popu-
lations.
All appointees of the task force shall be made no later than sixty
days after the effective date of this act. Any vacancy shall be filled
by the appointing authority. The task force shall meet as frequently as
deemed necessary prior to issuing its recommendations. The members of
the task force shall serve without compensation, except that members
shall be allowed their necessary and actual expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties under this section. The office of fire
prevention and control within the department of homeland security and
emergency services shall provide the task force with such facilities,
assistance, and data as will enable such task force to carry out its
powers and duties within reason.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed [April 1] DECEMBER 31, 2022.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall be deemed to
have been in full force and effect on and after November 11, 2020;
provided, however, that the amendments to section 1 of chapter 258 of
the laws of 2020 made by section one of this act shall not affect the
repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.