Empowers the office of fire prevention and control to, in coordination with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and the chief disability officer, provide minimum basic training related to handling emergency situations involving individuals with any physical and/or developmental disability to all firefighters.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A688
SPONSOR: Buttenschon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to providing minimum
basic training related to handling emergency situations involving indi-
viduals with any physical and/or developmental disability to all fire-
fighters
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation would require the office of fire prevention and control
to establish best practices for firefighters to assist individuals with
disabilities.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Adds a new subdivision 23 to section 156 of the executive
law, requiring the office of fire prevention and control to provide
additional training to firefighters regarding handling emergency situ-
ations involving individuals with disabilities.
Section 2. Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
For too much of this nation's history, individuals with disabilities
have been overlooked in mostly every facet of our civic life. As a
result, language and direction is often not offered for or does not take
into account - individuals with disabilities within many of the most
standard of societal procedures and practices. This legislation would
ensure that first responders have access to training and best practices
on techniques to protect both mobility limited and intellectually chal-
lenged individuals during an emergency situation; it does so by requir-
ing the division of homeland security and emergency services to estab-
lish best practices for first responders and firefighters to assist
individuals with disabilities.
This legislation will lead to a safer world for individuals with disa-
bilities by ensuring that they are taken into account and not overlooked
in our planning for - and procedures during - an emergency situation.
Furthermore, the legislation will support firefighters and other first
responders by ensuring access to the standard and best practices that
they may require in an emergency situation.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: A.1533-A - delivered to senate / S.3190-A - amend and recom-
mit to finance
2021-2022: A.9053 - referred to governmental operations / S.7675 -
committed to rules
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
TBD.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
