NYS law requiring safety rope

[Danger 160]

Law A7785 Passed by Govenor Spitzer

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring employers to provide safety ropes and system components to firefighters

PURPOSE: This bill would require public employers except those in a city of one million or more to provide firefighters with safety ropes and system components that meet standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This bill amends Section 27-a of the New York State Labor Law.

Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 1 by defining "system components" as life safety harnesses, belts, ascending devices, carbiners, descent control devices, rope grab devices and snap-links.

Section 2 adds a new paragraph © to subdivision 4, which provides that public employers provide firefighters with safety ropes and system components that meet the standards, codes and recommended practices established by the most recent edition of the NFPA 1983, Standard for Fire Service Life Safety Ropes and System Components. Moreover, public employers not in a city of a million or more are required to ensure the adequacy of the ropes and the component equipment by inspecting such and ensuring it complies with the established safety standards.

JUSTIFICATION: On January 23, 2005, six New York City firefighters were caught on the fourth floor of a burning building in he Bronx. Due to a department order dating back to 2000, the firefighters were not equipped with safety ropes and the accompanying equipment. Sadly, the six firefighters were forced to jump from the building, falling four stories to the street below. As a result, four of the firefighters were seriously injured, and two of the firefighters, Lieutenant Curtis W. Meyran and Firefighter John G. Bellew, died.

This bill must be enacted to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Safety ropes and accompanying system components can be used to save the lives of victims, as well as provide a means to escape for firefighters of this state that they be equipped with this necessary apparatus.

To date, the Commissioner of the Department of Labor has not made it mandatory that public employers provide safety ropes and system components. This bill addresses this oversight by explicitly requiring the Commissioner to adopt standards, codes, and recommended practices promulgated by the NFPA in order to ensure the health and safety of the firefighters of this state. By adopting NFPA standards, this bill attempts to avoid uncertainty and ensure uniform application.

Whats the reasoning behind the exemption of cities of one milllion or more? Is this just to let FDNY self govern?

[xfirefighter484x 234]

Already been discussed almost 2 weeks ago!!

http://emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=19...mp;#entry100203

Edited August 20, 2007 by xfirefighter484x

[Guest alsfirefighter]

As said already discussed and if you look at many other state laws it gives the same verbage of "any city with a population over 1 million." FDNY doesn't govern itself, the City of New York does.

I'm just interested in how many post about that comment in the law but I see very few on how your own departments are going to outfit you and then train you on the specific equipment they obtain.

[ny10570 745]

I'm just interested in how many post about that comment in the law but I see very few on how your own departments are going to outfit you and then train you on the specific equipment they obtain.

Excellent point ALS. In that vein, Pleasantville was well on its way to getting the PSS issued (Thanks Ferg), but thanks to some bad weather the 2nd half of training never happened.