The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the new rule is to address “the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders.”
OSHA says existing regulations on firefighting, emergency medical services and search and rescue are “patchwork” and haven’t been updated for decades.
But since proposing a new, all-encompassing rule in February, thousands of comments and concerns have poured in from around the country, including Utah.
Volunteer search and rescuers and firefighters in particular are concerned about the financial impacts of new required training and procedures. The requirements include medical exams by specialized doctors, standardized truck and brake checks and miscellaneous administrative tasks.
Utah Sheriffs Association Vice President Tracy Glover, Kane County’s sheriff, said they’re concerned it’s a one-size-fits-all approach.
“The reality is that urban search and rescue, often attributable to large fire departments, is much different than what we do in the West,” Glover said. “Particularly in a state like Utah, where we have so much federally controlled land and public land, and that's where the majority of our rescues are done.”
Utah’s sheriffs say rescuers, many of whom are volunteers, aren’t exposed to many of the hazards OSHA wants to guard against. So training for them would be an unnecessary financial burden, especially for cash-strapped rural counties.
In Utah, some state money is available to reimburse search and rescue programs, which are run by local sheriffs, but most operations go unfunded.
Summit County Lt. Alan Siddoway, the sheriff’s search and rescue coordinator, tells KPCW their office is “concerned and monitoring it closely.”
Volunteer fire departments like the South Summit Fire Protection District share that concern, in part because of their small budgets.
“We're trying to express our opinions on the changes that are proposed, while still keeping, you know, employee safety at the top of our list,” South Summit Fire Chief Scott Thorell said. “A lot of what they are requiring is going to be very difficult financially for smaller departments.”
OSHA says the cost to small volunteer departments would be about $14,000 annually, but the National Volunteer Fire Council thinks it would be greater.
Even the International Association of Fire Chiefs, which wrote a letter thanking OSHA for updating its regulations, noted the concerns volunteer departments had. It recommends rolling out implementations or exemptions so small departments don’t fold.
All 29 Utah sheriffs signed their own letter of concern to OSHA in July. It warns about a possible “mass exodus of volunteers in the system placing countless lives at risk.”
Glover says that’s been able to spark conversation. OSHA has scheduled an informal virtual hearing for Nov. 12, starting at 7:30 a.m. MST. Those who wish to participate should fill out this form.
“We're going to participate in that to the extent possible and levy some of our concerns in an oral argument setting,” the Kane County sheriff said.
He doesn’t know what OSHA’s timeline is after the November hearing but cited two previous extensions due to the volume of feedback from around the county.
An OSHA spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment Aug. 28.
