SENATE, No. 2056

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MAY 8, 1997

 

 

By Senator CAFIERO

 

 

An Act concerning certain police, fire and emergency services and supplementing Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Whenever a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic employed by a municipality, county, fire district or the State is appointed to or training for appointment to a State, county, municipal or regional urban search and rescue task force or team, and that law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic suffers injury or death in the performance of his duties, he or his designee or legal representative shall be entitled to the salary, pension rights, worker's compensation, or other benefits as would have accrued if the injury or death had occurred in the performance of duties in the territorial jurisdiction in which the duties were normally performed.

    In addition, such officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic shall have the same powers, authority and immunities as law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, as the case may be, in the municipality in which the assistance is being rendered.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    Under the provisions of this bill, State and local law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics who are appointed to or training for appointment to a State, county, municipal or regional urban search and rescue task force or team and who are injured or killed in the performance of their duties would be entitled to the same salary, pension rights and other benefits as if the injury or death had occurred in the jurisdiction where that person is normally employed. The bill also provides the officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic with the same powers, authority and immunities as law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the municipality where the assistance is being rendered. Similar task forces or teams organized by the federal government are composed of multi-agency personnel who respond to disasters such as Hurricane Andrew and the Oklahoma City bombing.

 

 

                             

Provides immunities and other benefits to persons who participate in urban search and rescue teams.