Rep. Tenney, firefighters oppose 'burdensome' proposed changes to OSHA standard

Lockport, N.Y. (WBEN) - Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24) and local firefighters in Niagara County are sounding the alarm on proposed changes to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations that make changes to the longtime Fire Brigades Standard, while also proposing 22 additional rules for all fire departments.

"We wrote a letter back in May , a group of concerned members of Congress, a bipartisan letter to OSHA, indicating our concerns about this and what could be very devastating rules, especially to our volunteers. There are a lot a that will be impacted, but a lot of these rules will cause us to have to potentially lose some of our fire departments," explained Rep. Tenney on Wednesday while at South Lockport Fire Police Station.

"This would be a grave public safety emergency. The rules, though I think may be well-intentioned, are actually going to cause more harm and more threat to public safety if implemented."

So, what do these rules OSHA rules include?

They include mandatory facility upgrades and increased training requirements, among many other requirements listed in the 603-page rule document that would apply not only to fire departments, but emergency service teams and some branches of local police departments.

"There are some good changes that should be implemented over time, but many of the changes are absurd, especially in the fire service. The implementation phases of some of the updates make no sense and are almost impossible to meet," said Jonathan Schultz, Director of Emergency Services and Fire Coordinator for Niagara County.

This proposal would also apply to volunteer fire departments in New York, who already face significant financial and operational limitations.

"Change is good, but the change may cripple agencies right here in Niagara County, both manpower-wise and also financially. New York State Tax Cap affects everything done budgetarily in New York State, and this change will certainly require funding from local, county and state to make a potential new norm for our fire service," added Schultz.

Specific examples of how the proposed OSHA rule changes could negatively impact volunteer fire departments include:

- Incurring the cost of new fire trucks, which can range from $800,000 to $1.5 million, would be a significant financial burden on volunteer fire departments that rely on fundraising and limited budgets

- The requirement to replace firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) every 10 years, at a cost of around $6,000 per-set of gear, would also be very costly for volunteer departments.

- The new training and documentation requirements, estimated to take over 100 hours per-year, would be difficult for volunteer firefighters to meet on top of their regular jobs and family commitments.

There will be a virtual public hearing on Nov. 12 regarding these new OSHA changes according to FASNY (Firefighters Association of the State of New York) President Edward Tase, Jr.

"FASNY and the National Volunteer Fire Council are meeting in Kansas in September to set the table and put together our professional testimony. But anyone, any volunteer fire department, any public servant, or any resident can submit a request to make a comment during the public hearing. Just go to the NationalVolunteerFireCouncil.org for [more] information," said Tase.