Bill > S2856

This bill proposes changes to the structure and responsibilities of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, specifically concerning hazardous materials and technical rescue operations. It establishes a new "division of special operations" within the department, which will encompass hazardous materials emergency response teams and technical rescue emergency response teams, and renames the director of hazardous materials to the director of special operations. The bill also shifts oversight of technical rescue regions from regional entities to the state fire marshal and creates a technical rescue coordinating council, an advisory body to the state fire marshal composed of state officials and representatives from fire service organizations, to review standards and procedures for technical rescue responses. Furthermore, it clarifies that the department, through the division of special operations, will prepare a technical rescue response plan, and that actions taken by member departments under this plan are considered to be on behalf of the department and the commonwealth. The bill also outlines the authority of the team leader and incident commander during a technical rescue response and mandates that the commonwealth, subject to available funding, will reimburse municipalities for costs associated with technical rescue responses and provide annual stipends to qualified team members. Finally, it makes amendments to how a specific fund, related to fire services, is administered, designating the state fire marshal as its administrator.

Budget and Finance

Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2856