According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Fire Chief Matthew Tobia of the Harrisonburg (VA) Fire Department provided testimony on November 12 regarding OSHA’s draft Emergency Response Standard.
The hearing was part of OSHA’s rulemaking process, which aims to improve workplace safety for emergency responders.
OSHA has proposed revisions to the Fire Brigades standard (29 C.F.R. 1910.156) to include emergency medical services (EMS) and technical search and rescue personnel, in addition to industrial firefighters.
These updates aim to address the hazards faced by a broader range of emergency response workers.
Chief Tobia emphasized the importance of ensuring the updated OSHA standards can adapt to evolving National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
He recommended that OSHA use general incorporation to integrate NFPA guidelines more effectively into its Emergency Response Standard.
Chief Tobia also raised specific concerns about proposed wildfire response and medical evaluation standards.
He advocated for these updates to better align with operational needs while minimizing compliance challenges for departments nationwide.
Chief Tobia highlighted concerns regarding the proposed standard’s impact on volunteer fire departments.
He requested that OSHA adopt the U.S. Department of Labor’s 20 percent rule to define volunteer fire and EMS personnel.
He also called for an exemption or extended implementation timeline to help these departments manage the costs of compliance.
Volunteer fire departments, which often operate with limited budgets, have expressed concerns about the financial burden of implementing the proposed standards.
Chief Tobia underscored the need for a phased approach to reduce operational disruptions.
Chief Tobia recommended extending the implementation timeline for all departments to 10 years.
He stated that this approach would allow a greater number of organizations to comply with the standards while minimizing operational interruptions.
These recommendations are based on written comments submitted by the IAFC on July 11.
The comments were developed with input from over 30 IAFC members representing diverse operational components.
Fire Chief Matthew Tobia of Harrisonburg (VA) Fire Department testified on behalf of the IAFC regarding OSHA’s draft Emergency Response Standard on November 12.
OSHA aims to revise its Fire Brigades standard to expand coverage to more emergency responders, including EMS and search and rescue personnel.
Chief Tobia proposed aligning OSHA’s standard with NFPA updates, addressing cost concerns for volunteer fire departments, and adopting a 10-year implementation timeline.
These recommendations are based on IAFC comments submitted in July and are intended to balance safety improvements with operational feasibility.
The IAFC will continue to update its members on developments.
