The state of Connecticut is passing a bill that would require a volunteer fire department or volunteer ambulance company to comply with the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Act (Conn–OSHA) as an employer, unless it is regulated by the federal OSHA law.
By law, Conn–OSHA governs workplace safety for the state and its political subdivisions as employers; so, certain non–governmental volunteer fire and ambulance companies are not considered under its current jurisdiction. They are, generally, not covered by federal OSHA unless they are privately chartered and have paid employees.
In Mayfield v. Goshen Volunteer Fire Company (301 Conn. 739 (2011)), the state Supreme Court ruled that a privately chartered volunteer fire
company is not a political subdivision of the state (and not subject to Conn–OSHA jurisdiction) if it is not controlled by a municipality or municipal officials.
The bill’s effective date is October 1, 2023.