Everyone,

Beginning with this update, I will resume the weekly publication of legislative information for the Fire Service in Connecticut. You can expect to find the update on the listserv distributed by the office of the State Fire Administrator every Friday until the end of the 2019 legislative session. If you would like to receive a copy of this update by email, please contact me by email and I will add your name to my distribution list.

We held our annual CSFA Legislative Meeting last night and I would like to thank everyone who participated is helping us to create our list of legislative priorities for the Fire Service during the upcoming 2019 Legislative Session of the Connecticut General Assembly. Fire/EMS Caucus co-chair Representative Pat Boyd addressed the group at the beginning of the meeting. Fire EMS Caucus Co-chair Rep. Brian Ohler was not able to attend because of previously scheduled responsibilities within his district. Rep. Boyd spoke of the importance of continuing with the work of the caucus of legislators in the upcoming session. In the complete update linked below, I have included the letter sent out to all legislators inviting them to attend our next Fire/EMS Caucus Meeting on December 12th, 2018, at the Legislative Office Building in Room 2B at 10:30AM.

Click here to download the entire update in PDF format.

Everyone,

We’ve been told that we were successful convincing the General Law Committee to remove language
we opposed from SB-193 – AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION STATUTES. That language would have allowed vendor companies to transport gasoline for
mobile refueling in Connecticut.

HB-5381 – AN ACT IMPOSING A SURCHARGE ON CERTAIN PERSONAL RISK INSURANCE POLICIES TO FUND
REGIONAL FIRE SCHOOLS’ OPERATING BUDGETS AND CERTAIN FIREFIGHTER TRAINING COSTS did not
get voted Joint Favorable out of Insurance and Real Estate Committee this week. However, we are still
waiting to hear what’s going to happen to HB-5070 – AN ACT PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE
FIREFIGHTER’S CANCER RELIEF FUND and HB-5080 – AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR REGIONAL FIRE TRAINING SCHOOLS. Both bills are presently still being considered by the Appropriations Committee.
The Committee Bill Deadline for Approps is March 26 and the JF deadline is April 5.

There is still time to submit written testimony for either of these HB 5070 or HB 5080 if you have not
done so already. Additional testimony will help to keep the spotlight on these important issues for the
Fire Service. Again, we need to make it clear to the members of Appropriations that we feel it makes
no sense for Connecticut to bond millions of dollars for much needed fire schools and fail to provide
funding to operate them.

All public hearing testimony, written & spoken, is public information. The Committee encourages
witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that
statement. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. As such, it
will be made available on the CGA website and will be indexed by internet search engines.

Also, the Public Safety and Security Committee will vote later today whether to JFS (Joint Favorable
Substitute) SB-278 – AN ACT CONCERNING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS TRAINING AND SUICIDE
PREVENTION FOR POLICE OFFICERS (a.k.a. “The PTSD Bill).

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 03-16-18 in PDF format.

Also, please read the CSFA 2018 FIRE SERVICE BILL TRACKING: 03-16-18.

Everyone,

The Fire Marshals ask that we join them as they oppose a SB-435 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE AND
USE OF CONSUMER GRADE FIREWORKS. You can submit written and oral testimony. If you would like to
submit oral testimony, please contact me as soon as possible:

Written testimony needs to be in word or PDF format and emailed to gltestimony@cga.ct.gov.
Testimony should clearly state testifier name and related Bills. The Committee requests that
testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the Agenda. The first hour of the
hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Chief Elected
Municipal Officials. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00435&which_
year=2018

Also, there will be a Public Hearing for SB-419 – AN ACT INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT
FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS. The hearing is scheduled for Friday,
March 16, 2018 at 11:15 A.M. in Room 1A of the LOB.

Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to PDtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Testimony
should clearly state the testifier’s name and related bills. The Committee requests that
testimony be limited to matters related to items on the Agenda. The first hour will be reserved
for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Chief Elected Municipal Officials.
Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing with the Committee. All public hearing testimony,
written and spoken, is public information. As such, it will be made available on the CGA website
and indexed by internet search engines.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB-419

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 03-14-18 in PDF format.

Everyone,

First, I would like to thank everyone who made the time to show up at the LOB this past Tuesday.
Furthermore, I offer special thanks the members of the Fire Service who appeared in Class A Uniform
that day. Our presence at the Fire EMS Caucus and the important public hearings that day was most
definitely noticed and appreciated. The Fire EMS Caucus meeting was well-attended by the Fire Service
and, if you missed it, you can watch the entire meeting courtesy of the Connecticut Network. We’ve
been told that the video links from the Fire EMS Caucus meetings are the most popular videos coming
out of the Capitol this year – 3000 video hits and climbing on the CT Network website. You can watch
the most recent Fire EMS Caucus meeting on the following link:

http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/ctnplayer.asp?odID=15074

Fire EMS Caucus co-chair Rep. Pat Boyd announced plans and the caucus voted to co-sponsor Fire
Service Day tentatively scheduled for April 11th, 2018. Boyd expects that the legislature will be in session
that day and that he hopes many more legislators and members of the Fire Service will attend. Rep.
Boyd also said that the funding of the operating budgets of the Regional Fire Schools was the top
priority this session. Also, Fire Chief John Alston from New Haven made public comment during the
caucus meeting and spoke of the importance of the Region Fire School system for urban municipalities
as well as for the smaller suburban communities with volunteer firefighters. Fire Chief Denis McCarthy
from Fairfield also spoke about the importance of restoring funds for Regional Fire Schools that have
been cut by Governor Malloy. April 11th, 2018 will also be the date for the next Fire EMS Caucus
meeting. I will post a schedule for that day as soon as possible.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 03-09-18 in PDF format.

Also, please read the CSFA 2018 FIRE SERVICE BILL TRACKING: 03-09-18.

Everyone,

This past week, I attended the last-minute public hearing for SB-193 – AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS
TO DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION STATUTES. The bill proposes changes to Dept of
Consumer Protection regulations that would allow companies to transport gasoline for mobile refueling.

The Fire Marshals oppose the bill, CSFA supports their position and we made that message clear at the
hearing. You can read more details on this new industry that is trying to come to Connecticut in the
following article:

http://www.autonews.com/article/20160502/OEM06/160509986/gasoline-delivery-startupswant-
to-fill-up-cars-anywhere-but-is-it

Here’s one of the businesses that delivers gasoline – take a look at how they are marketing themselves:

http://www.filld.com/faqs/

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 03-03-18 in PDF format.

Also, please read the CSFA 2018 FIRE SERVICE BILL TRACKING: 03-02-18.

I have added a few new bills to this week’s House Bill Status Report that is attached to this update.
The newest legislation includes the following:

• HB-5146 – AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR STATE AND REGIONAL FIRE TRAINING SCHOOLS.
• HB-5227 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE INTIMIDATION ON ACCOUNT OF OCCUPATION AS A
  PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEE.
• HB-5228 – AN ACT REQUIRING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION AND WARNING EQUIPMENT IN
  CERTAIN BUSINESSES.
• SB-140 – AN ACT INCREASING FINES FOR VIOLATIONS COMMITTED IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE,
  UTILITY WORK ZONE, TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT ZONE AND FIRE STATION ZONE AND
  IMPROVING THE SIGNS AT SUCH ZONES.
• SB-221 – AN ACT INCREASING THE FINE FOR FAILING TO MOVE OVER FOR AN EMERGENCY
  VEHICLE AND INJURING THE OPERATOR OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
• SB-222 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF A FIRE MARSHAL AND POLICE OFFICERS
  AT THE CONNECTICUT AIRPORT AUTHORITY.

Walter Summers of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association has asked me to share the following
invitation to members of the Fire Service:

I would like to invite the various fire service organizations to send a representative to a meeting of the
Code Amendment Subcommittee next week. This would support CFMA’s and DAS’s efforts to have fire
sprinklers installed in new Townhouse construction. The CT Home Builders are working very hard to get
this provision removed from the new Building Code and we need to show the Committee that the fire
service is in full support of this effort to save lives.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 02-23-18 in PDF format

Also, please read: CSFA 2018 House Bill Status Report: 02-23-18

The most important issue for the Fire Service this week in Connecticut is the Governor’s adjustment to the state budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2019 in HB-5035. A close look at page 6 of the Governor’s Bill ( https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/TOB/h/pdf/2018HB-05035-R00-HB.pdf ) reveals that operating budgets for the Regional Fire Schools have been zeroed out as in past proposals from Governor Malloy. However, this latest budget proposal shows brackets [ ] around line items T153 and T158 – T166 (the nine Regional Fire Schools), and, that indicates that these budget line items totaling $780,741 are to be altogether eliminated from the state budget if this current proposal is passed in its present form. In fact, it is our opinion that new legislation would actually be required to insert the bracketed [ ] line items back into the state budget moving forward. We feel that passage of this version of the Governor’s budget would be devastating to our Regional Fire School System.

This week, there is a hearing to address HB-5035 and there is an opportunity for public testimony. The Joint Committee on Appropriations’ Regulation and Protection sub-committee will have a public hearing on Friday February 23rd, 2018 at the Legislative Office Building in Room 2C at 5:30PM. I realize that this may be a difficult time for most to plan to attend to offer oral testimony, however, I ask that our membership submit written testimony this week to let the Appropriations sub-committee know that we oppose having the Regional Fire Schools removed from the state budget. Please, we need to make this clear to the members of Appropriations that we feel it makes no sense for Connecticut to bond millions of dollars for much needed fire schools and fail to provide funding to operate them.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 02-16-18 in PDF format

Also, please read: CSFA 2018 Fire Service Bill Tracking: 02-16-18