HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 82

(By Delegates Longanacre, Riley, Mallow, Barnhart, Kump, Vance, Stephens, Hite, DeVault, Sheedy, Statler, Adkins, Anderson, Bridges, Brooks, Burkhammer, Butler, Cannon, Chiarelli, W. Clark, T. Clark, Cooper, Criss, Crouse, Dean, Dillon, Dittman, Espinosa, Fast, Fehrenbacher, Ferrell, Fluharty, Forsht, Foster, Garcia, Gearheart, Green, Griffith, W. Hall, Hamilton, Hansen, Heckert, Hillenbrand, Holstein, Hornbuckle, Horst, Hott, Householder, Howell, Jeffries, Jennings, Kelly, Kimble, Kirby, Lewis, Linville, Mazzocchi, McGeehan, Miller, Petitto, Phillips, Pinson, C. Pritt, E. Pritt, Pushkin, Ridenour, Rohrbach, Rowe, Shamblin, Smith, Steele, Street, Toney, Tully, Ward, Warner, Westfall, Williams, Willis, Worrell, Young, and Zatezalo)

[Introduced February 19, 2024; referred to the Committee on Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services then Rules.]

 Requesting the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services study issues relating to review training, equipment and operating standards, and for certification and evaluation of local and rural fire departments for retention, training, and recruitment purposes.

Whereas, There are issues and conditions that place an undue burden on rural area fire department volunteer firefighters, including addressing issues related to training, recruitment, and retention, based on the rural character and level of development of the response area for a volunteer fire department; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services study issues relating to volunteer firefighters’ training, equipment and operating standards and for certification and evaluation of local fire departments with the goal of addressing issues and conditions that place an undue burden on rural area fire department volunteer firefighters, including addressing issues related to training, recruitment, and retention, based on the rural character and level of development of the response area for a volunteer fire department, and be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services shall report to the regular session of the Legislature 2025, on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations along with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, prepare a report, and draft necessary legislation will be paid from legislative appropriations of the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services.