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Local chiefs urge Meade County to oppose proposed OSHA/NFPA changes that would burden volunteer departments
Summary
Blackhawk and county firefighter leaders told commissioners proposed OSHA changes would convert many NFPA recommendations into mandatory requirements—adding costs for new apparatus, more frequent medical exams and minimum staffing—that could be unaffordable for rural volunteer departments.
Volunteer fire chiefs told the Meade County Commission that proposed changes to occupational-safety rules could force rural departments to shoulder costs they cannot afford.
Kurt Clender, fire chief for the Blackhawk Volunteer Fire Department, told commissioners that NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) guidance currently sets many items as recommended after a decade of service, but that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is considering turning several of those "should" standards into mandatory "shall" requirements. "Currently, a fire apparatus ... must be replaced every 20 years according to NFPA. But OSHA now says it will shall be replaced in 10 years," Clender said, adding that smaller volunteer departments rely on donations and cannot absorb the expense.
Scott Lindegraff, president of the Mead County Firefighters Association, said converting NFPA guidance into enforceable law could effectively force small volunteer departments out of service. He and Clender asked the county to consider drafting or endorsing a comment letter to OSHA and to coordinate with nearby counties and the state firefighters association.
Commissioners asked for more local data — such as the number of apparatus and volunteer firefighters in Meade County that would be affected — and several commissioners offered to help draft a county response. Clender and Lindegraff said they would contact regional fire leaders and the state association and bring a suggested letter back to the board by the county’s next meeting.
The commissioners did not take immediate formal action but directed staff and interested commissioners to work with local chiefs to prepare a county response.
