State Senator Scarcella-Spanton's Emergency Response Bill Passes Committee, Amend Law To Exempt Police, Fire Dept. Vessels When Responding To Emergency On Water

STATEN ISLAND AND BROOKLYN, NY– Senator Scarcella-Spanton’s bill to create an act to amend the navigation law, in relation to providing an exemption from certain laws for operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels responding to emergencies on the navigable waters of the state, passed in the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

While New York State Navigation Law does not exempt bona fide law enforcement agencies and fire departments from deviating from the State Law when responding to emergencies or in pursuit of law enforcement activities, these exemptions currently exist in the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law concerning police and emergency vehicles. This oversight would be rectified by Senator Scarcella-Spanton’s legislation.

“Our first responders need to be able to get to an emergency as efficiently and swiftly as possible. The fact that our current law does not account for first responders traveling via waterways has been an oversight for far too long, and I’m proud to be introducing legislation that will protect our first responders commanding fire and law enforcement vessels” said Senator Scarcella-Spanton.

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