Bill would prevent firing of volunteers
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
By: Phil Gregory
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A bill that's set to go before New Jersey's Assembly tomorrow seeks to make sure that if volunteer firefighters and rescue squad members are responding to an emergency, they're not also risking their jobs.
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The legislation would prevent employers from firing or suspending volunteer responders who do not report to work because they are providing emergency services.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli is one of the sponsors of the measure.
Burzichelli: This is a proactive step to say listen if you're going to be a volunteer fireman or EMS person and in the line of service you have to stay in service and can't get to your job, your job is still going to be there when you finish.
The bill does not require an employer to pay an employee who missed work while rendering those emergency services. Burzichelli says not facing the prospect of losing a job for responding to an emergency may encourage more people to become a volunteer.