Last week, U.S Senator John Boozman, Republican of Arkansas, met with volunteer firefighters to hear their input on OSHA’s latest proposal to modernize requirements for emergency responders, according to the Resident News Network.
In an interview with Arkies in the Beltway, Boozman said the listening sessions have taught him how difficult the OSHA regulations would be on local fire departments.
“If you have a $15,000 or $20,000 increase and your budget is only $75,000 that’s real money,” Boozman said.
Boozman through the Senate Appropriations Committee required there to be listening sessions before the proposal is to be put into effect.
According to OSHA’s website, its updated regulations would require higher levels of training and equipment for fire departments. The department has said the regulations haven’t been updated since 1980 and that is the reason for updating the regulations.
Out of the 1,003 fire departments in Arkansas, 28 are fully staffed with fully paid employees, according to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
