WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Vice Chair Sullivan (R-AK), and two of their Senate Western Caucus colleagues sent a letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Assistant Secretary Douglas Parker to urge him to consider the unintended consequences the administration’s new proposed “Emergency Response Standard” will have on volunteer EMS, firefighters, and wilderness search and rescue operations.
“This one-sized-fits-all rule would be an incredible burden to the volunteer EMS, fire, and wilderness search and rescue in Wyoming and the west,” the senators wrote. “It would impose additional health and safety requirements that are not relevant to their daily operations and be financially straining for volunteer crews.”
Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) consigned the letter.
This rule replaces the fire brigade standard from 1980 and would make it impossible for volunteer crews to obtain the necessary training hours to meet these standards.
A full copy of the letter can be found here.