House Public Safety commission requests 10‑day report on volunteer emergency corps tied to Project 412

The House of Representatives' Public Safety Commission on Sept. 22 asked the Department of Public Safety to deliver a detailed, island‑wide report within 10 days on entities participating in volunteer emergency programs referenced in Project 412.

The request came during a commission hearing on Project 412, a measure the committee reviewed that would touch on the Citizen Core and other volunteer components used in emergency response. The commission chair (presiding officer) said the panel wanted a list of organizations active across the island and data on how the department supports municipalities.

The request reflects recurring committee concerns about uneven municipal participation, training standards and legal protections for volunteers. Francisco Bruno Arellano, a staff member speaking for the department, told the commission that Law 20 already establishes volunteer roles and that a departmental regulation (cited in the hearing as reglamento 70‑35, currently under review) sets more detailed requirements. "Sí, hay un reglamento ... que está en revisión," Bruno said, describing updates to accommodate new specialized volunteer groups that have formed since the regulation's initial drafting.

Commission members emphasized differences among volunteer roles. Enzo Rodríguez, vice president of the commission, asked whether the department's regulation allows volunteers to direct traffic at emergency scenes and who would be liable if a volunteer gave incorrect instructions. "Un civil dando tránsito, a quien se hace responsable en caso de que se dé una mala instrucción," Rodríguez asked. Department staff replied that volunteers generally act in support roles and do not carry law‑enforcement authority; volunteers may assist alongside police but do not replace officers.

Department representatives outlined the main volunteer categories the bureau tracks: municipal volunteer groups, specialized search‑and‑rescue teams, community hubs, food‑bank volunteers and a volunteer chaplain corps. The commission was told the largest body of volunteers is organized at the municipal level and that the Emergency Management Bureau is recruiting specialized rescue personnel and running weekend testing and academies for some roles.

The hearing included details about training and protections. Department staff said individuals who will perform rescue operations must graduate from an academy that can last more than a year; community hub volunteers receive different, shorter training and, when certified, can receive government supplies in an emergency. The department also said volunteers covered directly by the bureau are insured under the state's insurance fund and that municipalities must ensure municipal volunteers are covered by an insurance policy before they are activated.

Committee members pressed for clearer central guidance. Several representatives urged a standardized curriculum for municipal emergency management directors; the commission was told Commissioner Ángel Jiménez is preparing a multi‑week curriculum, estimated at more than 40 hours, intended for municipal directors and regional coordinators, and that registration for the program would be opened to municipal directors across the island.

No formal vote on Project 412 was recorded during the hearing. The commission's formal action was a request for the department to produce the island‑wide inventory and statistics on municipal volunteer programs and the department's current initiatives; the panel set a 10‑day deadline for that report. The department said it could provide lists of community hub partners and other volunteer groups and would supply the requested data.

Next steps: the commission expects the Department of Public Safety and the Emergency Management Bureau to submit the requested report within 10 days. The commission may use that report to inform further review of Project 412 and related regulation changes.