By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
WASHINGTON — The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is designating June 12 as a “Day of Action” for volunteer fire service members.
Participants are encouraged to learn about the proposed OSHA Emergency Response Standard and develop comments on how this standard could affect their departments, the NVFC stated on their website.
The Emergency Response Standard is set to replace the current Fire Brigades Standard. Although many of the proposed provisions aim to enhance health and safety, the standard in its current form introduces numerous new requirements that could be overly burdensome and, in many cases, impossible for volunteer fire departments to meet, NVFC stated.
The nationwide Day of Action urges fire and EMS personnel to review the proposed standard, understand its potential impact on their communities and prepare their comments for OSHA. Throughout the day, special virtual events will be held to address questions, including:
- 10-11 a.m. ET – Live Q&A on Facebook with David Denniston, chair of the NVFC’s OSHA Task Force
- 1-2 p.m. ET – Office Hours on Zoom with Ryan Woodward, NVFC’s chief of legislative and regulatory affairs
- Virtual comment-writing group throughout the day on the NVFC’s member platform, Volunteer Voices
To prepare, NVFC recommends that departments:
- Visit www.nvfc.org/osha-standard for resources and information.
- Spread the word about the Day of Action and available resources with your contacts and followers by sharing the NVFC’s social media posts leading up to and on the day of the event.
- Schedule a June 12 training/meeting night at the department to learn about the standard and write comments.
- Ensure your local government representatives are aware of the proposed standard and how it would affect your department’s ability to serve the community.
- Take the NVFC’s 10-minute OSHA Preparedness Assessment survey.