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This bill raises the annual earnings limit for retired emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and advanced emergency medical technicians employed by specific emergency services agencies to $50,000. The change allows these retirees to earn up to this amount from other work without reducing their retirement benefits, which were previously restricted by lower limits. The law applies immediately to the relevant agencies and personnel covered under the state's retirement and social security system.
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Public Safety
This bill requires New York City emergency medical services personnel to replace their body armor every five years. It directly affects all employees in the city's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services who wear body armor while providing emergency care. The key provision mandates that the armor must meet National Institute of Justice safety standards and be replaced on a fixed five-year schedule, rather than as needed. This creates a clear, mandatory maintenance cycle to ensure consistent protection for these first responders.
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Public Safety
This bill allows firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel (first responders) diagnosed with work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to request paid sick leave starting from their diagnosis date. Employers must grant this leave at the employee’s regular pay rate without reducing accrued sick or vacation time, and they cannot punish employees for using it. The law also prohibits employers from taking adverse actions like discipline or demotion for utilizing this leave. The state will reimburse smaller municipalities for costs, and current employees with PTSD diagnosed before the bill’s effective date will receive retroactive sick leave restoration.
S 4618 excludes volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) employees in safety-sensitive roles from the permissive use of marijuana under New York's cannabis law. It defines "exempt employees" as those performing tasks like driving fire apparatus, rescue operations, or delivering emergency medical care. The bill allows fire agencies to conduct pre-employment, random, and cause-based drug testing for cannabis use (following federal standards) and requires medical cannabis users to report prescriptions for fitness-for-duty evaluations. This directly affects volunteer emergency responders whose duties involve public safety risks.
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Public Safety
Prohibits an employer from terminating an employee who is also a volunteer firefighter or an enrolled member of a volunteer ambulance service when such employee misses or is late to work because of an emergency to which the employee was dispatched.
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Public Safety
This bill (S 4300) prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against employees who respond to emergencies as volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers. It directly protects volunteer emergency responders by making it illegal for employers to terminate their employment solely because they were performing emergency duties. The law covers necessary travel to, work at, and return from emergencies, including fire alarms, hazardous material incidents, or medical calls, as defined by existing volunteer benefit laws. The policy change takes effect immediately, ensuring job security for these volunteers during emergency response activities.
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Public Safety
