GOVERNOR SIGNS PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER PROTECTION ACT OF 2005
Updated On: Jun 170, 2005
 

June 17, 2005

 

Governor Signs Professional Firefighter Protection Act of 2005 -- Also Signs Fire-Safe Cigarette Bill

 

 

South Burlington, Vt.--Governor Jim Douglas today was at the South Burlington Fire Department to sign into law the Professional Firefighter Protection Act of 2005, a bill offering greater security for professional firefighters and their families by providing that heart attacks or heart diseases that are symptomatic within 72 hours of service in the line of duty shall be presumed compensable for workers compensation.

The Governor also signed a bill requiring all cigarettes sold in Vermont to be self-extinguishing. Almost one quarter of fire deaths in Vermont are attributable to smoking materials.

Governor Douglas praised the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocates that advanced both measures.

“I would like to offer my thanks to everyone that worked on these bills, including some of the firefighters that are here with us today,” he said. “I would also like to acknowledge that this bill and the fire-safe cigarette bill came out of the same committees in the House and the Senate: the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee, under the leadership of Representative Brooks (D-Montpelier), and the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee, under the leadership of Senator Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans).”

We all recognize the extreme physical and mental stress that is experienced by firefighters, said Douglas, who for today’s ceremony returned to the same station where he announced the creation of the Fire Safety Division within the Department of Public Safety a little more than a year ago.

“Whether it is running inside a burning building, working with fellow firefighters to extinguish a blaze, or responding to an accident scene, firefighters face unique pressures which can often lead or contribute to heart problems,” Douglas continued. “This is small change in statute, but rest assured that this is an important issue to many firefighters and their families and will make a big difference in securing the future of those who are injured in the line of duty.”

By building a presumption in the law that heart attacks or heart diseases that occur within 72 hours in the line of duty, firefighters and their families will have a greater sense of comfort, Douglas stressed. This bill provides that in the case of a firefighter who suffers a heart attack, the burden of proof will be on the insurer to prove that the heart attack was not due to the unique stresses inherent in fighting fires.


-
  • Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont

    Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.

    Powered By UnionActive



  • Top of Page image