Staff Reports
Amidst the barrage of challenges already facing emergency services like fire and EMS departments, it seems Uncle Sam is ready to throw another wrench in the works. The Department of Labor, with its shiny new unconfirmed nominee Julie Su at the helm, is set to unleash a fresh OSHA rule that could turn operations and recruitment for first responders into an even bigger fiasco than it already is. Not to mention, 24 members of Congress, led by the indomitable Rep. Virginia Foxx, couldn’t be more baffled by this genius move.
Foxx and her fellow Republicans have thrown down the gauntlet, urging Su to kindly retract this backbreaking proposal from OSHA. They might have a point considering the rule, under the guise of ‘safety,’ seems designed to micromanage fire and EMS departments into oblivion. The rule wants to broaden the scope of entities covered way beyond firefighting, dragging in those indulging in technical research, rescue, and emergency medical services. Translation: more red tape, more headaches, and absolutely no tangible benefit.
Lawmakers: EMS, firefighters challenge worsened by OSHA proposal Already facing significant challenges, emergency service organizations such as fire and EMS departments could face tougher operations and recruitment if the Department of Labor finalizes a…https://t.co/Gu9IIgQ7NH
— The Black Chronicle (@BlackChron) June 25, 2024
Chairwoman Foxx, steering the ship at the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the House, aptly described the proposal as a “one-size-fits-all” monstrosity. It’s almost as if D.C. thinks a rural firehouse and a sprawling urban EMS squad are the same. The proposed rule tons of new administrative burdens and expenses onto already strained emergency responders. It’s almost as if they don’t realize these folks are the ones running into burning buildings, not spreadsheets.
Take a gander at Wake County in North Carolina. With a population exceeding 1.1 million, they just added 10 new ambulances and a crew to run them in the fiscal year 2025, topping off a budget that already exceeded $2 billion. And that’s an urban environment. When you flip to rural areas, as highlighted by The Center Square’s insight from Pennsylvania, funding and recruitment are such a nightmare, the arrival of help post-911 call is a gamble. Local legislators there desperately try to increase reimbursement rates and grants, yet DC thinks paperwork will solve the problem.
Let’s not forget, lawmakers argue, this OSHA rule wouldn’t just clobber our heroes in uniform. It would also smack private sector workers in places like manufacturing, oil and gas, and warehousing. These industries have tailored emergency response standards proven effective in keeping workplaces safe. Adding another thick layer of bureaucracy would do little but inflate compliance costs and flood offices with useless paperwork.
Lastly, those in Congress pointed out that Su’s brainchild would also toss in increased medical and physical requirements. Yes, that could mean volunteers with much-needed experience and skills could get kicked out. Talk about a perfect plan to exacerbate existing recruitment challenges! Local governments and private employers are already battling an uphill task to retain qualified emergency responders. It’s crystal clear, the federal government’s job should be to support these efforts, not to gleefully toss more obstacles in their path.
And, surprise, surprise, Democrats are nowhere to be found in this sea of common sense. The letter raising these concerns was inked solely by 24 Republican lawmakers, including the likes of Chuck Edwards and Richard Hudson from North Carolina, Glenn Thompson and Scott Perry from Pennsylvania, and Elise Stefanik from New York. If only Washington, D.C. could realize that sometimes, less is more, especially when it comes to regulation.
