Legislative Day 2022

February 11, 2022

The South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association is hosting its annual Fire Service Legislative Day on the South Carolina State House grounds on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 beginning at 10 a.m.

WHAT: Legislative Day

WHERE: State House grounds (between Blatt & Gressette Buildings, under white tent)

WHEN: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

WHY: The Association’s annual Legislative Day is your opportunity as a South Carolina firefighter to meet with representatives at the State House and talk one-on-one about the issues impacting your community and department. The luncheon allows fire service professionals to build relationships with our state’s legislators and their staff. By staying in constant contact with our federal delegation and having a strong presence in Columbia at the Statehouse, we are able to communicate the needs of our membership and the citizens our members serve. The Association’s legislative efforts continue to be successful because of the grassroots efforts of our members; Legislative Day is a celebration and recognition of those efforts and an opportunity to learn and grow together with lawmakers.

Year in and year out, it is important for the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association to support South Carolina State Fire and its requests through the legislature. LLR and State Fire are requesting over $25 million in funding through Governor McMaster’s Executive Budget. These funds are both recurring and non-recurring for USAR, Emergency Response Task Force, to provide improvements at the Fire Academy to add another recruit school, and to maintain/purchase equipment.

In addition to State Fire’s funding requests, the legislature has legislation that is significant to our fire service and its personnel, to include Return to Work, Optional Payment of Employee Contribution by Employer, V-SAFE Program Expansion, Reimbursement of Training Cost, Workers Compensation as it relates to PTSD, and Earnings Limitation associated with Return to Work.

WHAT IT MEANS TO ESCORT: It is important that you build a relationship with your area legislators. On Legislative Day, we will meet at 10 a.m. for a brief meeting to go over the day. Afterwards, escorts will head into the State House to request their legislators' presence at the luncheon. Escorts will walk them down to the tent where you and your legislator will be seated together. During your walk and over lunch will be the time to discuss key fire service legislation with your legislator along with any local updates you may have for them. We will provide to you during the 10 a.m. meeting a note card with key fire service points.

SIGN UP TO ESCORT