Portsmouth council adopts workers’‑comp presumption for EMS under Virginia law

Portsmouth City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that the city will provide the workers’ compensation presumptions in Virginia Code §65.2‑402(b) to full‑time emergency medical services personnel.

The resolution, listed on the agenda as item 25‑90, was supported at the public hearing by Tiffany Stewart, a full‑time Portsmouth paramedic and the union’s executive vice president, who said EMS workers had been led to believe they were covered by “heart and lung” protections although no resolution had been passed. Stewart told council that two department members died earlier this year and urged passage so future claims would not be denied.

City council opened the item for a vote following Stewart’s remarks and approved the resolution by a unanimous vote (7‑0).

Stewart said the fiscal impact would be negligible — “an insurance premium increase that costs less than a penny,” — and that the change was overdue after what she described as years of administrative delay. She praised city management for moving quickly once the discrepancy was identified.

Council did not record additional debate in the public transcript. The resolution takes effect as adopted by council; no implementation timeline or administrative steps beyond adoption were specified in the meeting record.

The action addresses the local application of the statutory presumption, which shifts the burden to the employer/insurer for covered heart and lung diseases for qualifying public safety personnel under state law. The transcript does not record follow‑up assignments or reporting requirements.