Volunteer Fire Chief reacts to proposed federal regulations

HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WETM) – At Tuesday night’s Chemung County Legislative Committee meeting, Legislator Michael Smith mentioned how regulations from the federal agency OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) could prevent volunteer fire departments from operating. Smith represents District 14, which includes the city of Southport.

“The implications of this are that it would most likely result in the suspension of operations of some of our small volunteer fire departments and many others would have even greater difficulty recruiting and retaining staff due to the increased training requirements and increased civil liability that comes with it,” he stated legislator Smith.

According to Fire Chief Sean McInerney of the Town & Country Fire Department, the new regulations would involve increased costs and additional training requirements. The structural fire protection equipment used will require modernization within a few years.

“It will also be imposed on certain manufacturers, such as equipment manufacturers. They will have to make some changes to the cabins and to everything that comes out after 2026,” McInerney said. “You will have personal protective equipment, i.e. our coat, pants and helmets, and even gloves. These standards are being changed and imposed on manufacturers, and they will try to implement them by 2026. We also have our breathing apparatuses or SCBA breathing apparatuses that we will have to change.”

Chief McInerney mentioned that if the new OSHA standards are adopted, it could lead to tax increases for citizens to offset these expenses.

“Whether you represent a fire department, a municipality or a county, in your contracts you either refer to your commissioners, city council or board of directors. This will all be pushed back to taxpayers, so you’ll see an increase to cover the funding.

According to Chief McInerney, the legislation has not yet been passed. To see their full list, click here.