The States News Service
LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed a bill that protects Michigan’s volunteer firefighters into law, announced state Rep. Al Pscholka. House Bill 4726 prevents the small compensation volunteer firefighters receive from counting as income and threatening unemployment benefits for unemployed volunteers.
“This is simply the right thing to do for these heroic residents,” said Pscholka. “In some cases, these brave first responders are not even granted death benefits. They are providing for the public’s safety and shouldn’t be discouraged from service in the event that they are laid off from their full-time positions.”
Currently, unemployed firefighters experience reduced benefits, which acts as a penalty for their service and willingness to put themselves at risk.
“This is another case where the best legislative ideas come from listening to your constituents,” Pscholka said.
Royalton Township Fire Chief Ron Koebel approached Pscholka with the problem just before the 2010 election. “Representative Pscholka not only listened, he took action and quickly got the bill through the House of Representatives and never gave up getting the bill all the way through,” said Koebel.
In addition to benefiting volunteer firefighters, the bill will help local communities that rely on the services they provide. The current situation provides a strong disincentive to volunteer and help protect the community.
“Volunteers are the primary fire safety personnel in many communities,” Pscholka said. “This bill will help make it easier to recruit on call firefighters in areas that rely on their service, and it will mean more volunteerism among those that are laid off from their full-time positions.”
HB 4726 was signed into law by the governor and assigned the new title of Public Act 496 of 2012.
Copyright 2013 States News Service