OSHA Emergency Response standard

March 21, 2024

The South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association is aware of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled Emergency Response and is preparing formal comments to be submitted in accordance with the May 6 comment deadline.

Members of the Executive Committee and leadership team are going to Washington, D.C. in April to discuss legislative items related to the fire service to include the OSHA proposal. Because of the significance of the suggested changes and the potential impacts, the OHSA proposal will be a big talking point during one-on-one meetings with our South Carolina congressional members.

An interdisciplinary Working Group comprised of subject matter experts from multiple areas of emergency response will be assembled to address how the proposal will impact South Carolina.

While the Association will represent the entirety of the South Carolina fire service in its written comments on the proposal, individuals and departments are highly encouraged to read through the proposal and provide comments. OSHA provides several direct questions throughout the document and is requesting comments on all aspects of the proposal. In your comments, we urge you to request more time to review the proposal in order to thoroughly assess the potential impact these changes will have on the South Carolina fire service.

READ THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL AND LEAVE COMMENTS

The deadline to submit comments is May 6, 2024.

It is our collective responsibility to advocate for the South Carolina fire service. These proposed changes are incredibly significant, and the ripple effects of this proposal are concerning to us. We are reviewing the suggested changes and want to make sure we are representing all South Carolina firefighters.

Malcolm Burns, President

UPDATE MARCH 28:

OSHA has extended the comment deadline to June 21, 2024.