AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill to protect emergency responders from being unfairly penalized for accidents while on their way to emergencies faces further legislative votes this week.
Rep. Louie Luchini’s bill received initial unanimous passage in the House last week. It faces further House and Senate votes this week.
Current state law prohibits insurers from increasing the premiums of law enforcement officers for motor vehicle accidents that occur while they’re acting in the course and scope of employment. Luchini’s bill would extend this same protection to emergency responders.
The Ellsworth Democrat submitted the bill at the request of retired Ellsworth Fire Chief Jon Marshall.
The only thing that I see here is the qualifying criteria and it’s maintenance. This bill would require every Agency and Fire Dept in the State to submit a valid Member’s Roster at some frequency to be included on the State Driver’s License Index like the CCW Permits are. While it might be a PITA for the Agency’s, it’s a simple matter if Member record’s are properly kept. And that’s a responsibility shared by both the Agency and the Public Safety folk’s.
There are some in our area who put lives in danger every-time they go out on a call. They have no right to endanger my life, to save someone else s. I would hate to think this bill could make it even worse.
simply wrong giving exemptions for the self righteous
I was a volunteer firefighter in CT before retiring & moving up here. I had a permit, which allowed me to procede through stop signs & red lights. The caveat was that I had to stop & then procede only if other traffic allwed me to. According to law, I was also not allowed to exceed the speed limit. This same rule, of obeying the speed limit & stopping at all red lights & stop signs applied if I was driving the fire apparatus with lights & siren. The law applied to all firefighters, police & ambulance drivers. Anyone involved in an accident could be prosecuted if it was found that they violated any traffic laws. There were also numerous occassions when someone would be charged for violating the law, as they should be. Whether or not someone is responding to an emergency, they have a responsibilty not to endanger other drivers or pedestrians on the road, something that a few seem to forget.
that is reasonable – but no here in in Maine they seek to give every hero want to be blanket immunity