Bill Text: CT HB05489 | 2011 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Immunity From Liability For Fire Police Officers, Property Tax Relief For Volunteer Fire Police Officers And Underwater Search And Rescue Teams And The Approval Of Regional Fire Schools.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2011-07-13 - Signed by the Governor [HB05489 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2011-HB05489-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY FOR FIRE POLICE OFFICERS, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE POLICE OFFICERS AND UNDERWATER SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS AND THE APPROVAL OF REGIONAL FIRE SCHOOLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 7-308 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):
(a) As used in this section, "municipality" [shall have] has the same meaning [ascribed to it by] as provided in section 7-314; "fire duties" [means those duties the performance of which is defined in said] has the same meaning as provided in section 7-314; "ambulance service" means "ambulance service" as defined in section 7-314b; [and] "volunteer ambulance member" means "active member of an organization certified as a volunteer ambulance service in accordance with section 19a-180" as defined in section 7-314b; and "fire police officer" means any active member of a volunteer fire police organization operating under a municipal fire department that provides support services to such department in accordance with section 7-313a.
(b) Each municipality of this state, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, general, special or local, or any limitation contained in the provisions of any charter, shall [pay on behalf of any paid or volunteer fireman or volunteer ambulance member of such municipality all sums which such fireman or volunteer ambulance member becomes obligated to pay by reason of liability imposed upon such fireman or volunteer ambulance member by law for damages to person or property, if the fireman or volunteer ambulance member, at the time of the occurrence, accident, injury or damages complained of, was performing fire or volunteer ambulance duties and if such occurrence, accident, injury or damage was not the result of any wilful or wanton act of such fireman or volunteer ambulance member in the discharge of such duties] protect and save harmless any volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer of such municipality from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of (1) any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of alleged negligence on the part of such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer while performing fire, volunteer ambulance or fire police duties, and (2) any claim, demand or suit instituted against such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer by reason of alleged malicious, wanton or wilful act on the part of such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer while performing fire, volunteer ambulance or fire police duties. In the event that a court of law enters a judgment against such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer for a malicious, wanton or wilful act, such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer shall reimburse such municipality for any expenses that the municipality incurred in providing such defense, and such municipality shall be exempt from any liability to such volunteer firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer for any financial loss resulting from such act. This section shall not apply to damages to a person caused by an employee to a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality if the employee suffering such damages or, in the case of his or her death, his or her dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of such damages. If a [fireman] firefighter or, in the case of his or her death, his or her dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of injury or death caused by the negligence or wrong of a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality, such [fireman] firefighter or, in the case of his or her death, his or her dependent, shall have no cause of action against such fellow employee to recover damages for such injury or death unless such wrong was wilful and malicious. Such municipality may arrange for and maintain appropriate insurance or may elect to act as a self-insurer to maintain such protection. No action or proceeding instituted pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be prosecuted or maintained against the municipality or [fireman] firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer unless at least thirty days have elapsed since the demand, claim or claims upon which such action or special proceeding is founded were presented to the clerk or corresponding officer of such municipality. No action for personal injuries or damages to real or personal property shall be maintained against such municipality and [fireman] firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer unless such action is commenced within one year after the cause of action therefor arose and notice of the intention to commence such action and of the time when and the place where the damages were incurred or sustained has been filed with the clerk or corresponding officer of such municipality and with the [fireman within] firefighter, volunteer ambulance member or volunteer fire police officer not later than six months after such cause of action has accrued. No action for trespass shall lie against any [fireman] firefighter crossing or working upon lands of another to extinguish fire or for investigation [thereof] of such fire. No action for trespass shall lie against any volunteer ambulance member crossing or working upon lands of another while performing ambulance services. No action for trespass shall lie against any volunteer fire police officer crossing or working upon lands of another while performing fire police services. Governmental immunity shall not be a defense in any action brought under this section. In any such action the municipality and the [fireman] firefighter, or the municipality and the volunteer ambulance member, or the municipality and the volunteer fire police officer, may be represented by the same attorney. [if the municipality, at the time such attorney enters his appearance, files a statement with the court, which shall not become part of the pleadings or judgment file, that it will pay any final judgment rendered in such action against such fireman or volunteer ambulance member. No mention of any kind shall be made of such statement by any counsel during the trial of such action. ]
Sec. 2. Section 12-81w of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2011):
The legislative body of any municipality may establish, by ordinance, a program to provide property tax relief for the nonsalaried local director of civil preparedness and for [individuals] any individual who [volunteer their] volunteers his or her services as a firefighter, fire police officer, as defined in subsection (a) of section 7-308, as amended by this act, emergency medical technician, paramedic, civil preparedness staff, an active member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as defined in section 5-249, an active member of a volunteer underwater search and rescue team, or an ambulance driver in the municipality. Such tax relief may provide either (1) an abatement of up to one thousand dollars in property taxes due for any fiscal year, or (2) an exemption applicable to the assessed value of real or personal property up to an amount equal to the quotient of one million dollars divided by the mill rate, in effect at the time of assessment, expressed as a whole number of dollars per one thousand dollars of assessed value. Any ordinance may authorize interlocal agreements for the purpose of providing property tax relief to such volunteers who live in one municipality but volunteer their services in another municipality.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2011) (a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control and the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, shall approve the establishment of any regional fire school. Any municipality seeking to establish a regional fire school shall hold a public hearing in the municipality where the regional fire school is proposed to be established and, after the public hearing, submit an application to the commissioner. Not later than sixty days after such application, the commissioner, in consultation with the commission and the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, shall approve or deny the application.
(b) The commissioner may, in consultation with the commission and the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, suspend or revoke the approval of any regional fire school that fails to meet the standards established by the commissioner in accordance with section 7-323l of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or any regulations adopted in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, provided the commissioner shall not suspend or revoke the approval of any regional fire school approved prior to October 1, 2011. The commissioner shall immediately send written notice of its decision to suspend or revoke approval to the regional fire school affected. Not later than ten days after receiving notice that the commissioner has revoked or suspended approval of such regional fire school, the recipient may request a hearing. Not later than thirty days after the commissioner receives such request, the commissioner shall hold a hearing in accordance with chapter 54 of the general statutes. Any appeal of the hearing's outcome shall be in accordance with section 4-183 of the general statutes.
(c) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the commission and the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes to implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 7-323l of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):
(a) The commission shall:
(1) Recommend minimum standards of education and physical condition required of each candidate for any firefighter position;
(2) Establish standards for a fire service training and education program, on a voluntary basis, and develop and conduct an examination program to certify those fire service personnel who satisfactorily demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements of the fire service training and education program standards;
(3) Conduct fire fighting training and education programs designed to assist firefighters in developing and maintaining their skills and keeping abreast of technological advances in fire suppression, fire protection, fire prevention and related fields;
(4) Recommend standards for promotion to the various ranks of fire departments;
(5) Be authorized to apply for, receive and distribute any state, federal or private funds or contributions available for training and education of fire fighting personnel; [and]
(6) Recommend that the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection approve or reject the establishment of or, when appropriate, suspend or revoke the approval of, regional fire schools in accordance with section 3 of this act; and
[(6)] (7) Submit to the Governor and Joint Legislative Management Committee of the General Assembly an annual report relating to the activities, recommendations and accomplishments of the commission.