Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairman Briggs

and Legislators Fabiano, Provenzano, Ronk and Wishnick), and The Ways and

Means Committee (Chairman Gerentine and Legislators Allen, Belfiglio, Briggs,

Gregorius, Maio, Maloney, and Parete)

Chairman John Parete, Legislator Richard Parete and Legislators Briggs and Lopez

offer the following:

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature recognizes the quality of life and

financial benefit volunteer first responder departments offer the entire County during

emergency responses; and

WHEREAS, the United States Fire Administration reported 94.6% of New

York State’s Fire Departments are comprised of volunteers or mostly volunteers; and

WHEREAS, the National Fire Protection Association reported the time

donated by volunteer firefighters saves the nation’s localities an estimated $139.8

billion per year; and

WHEREAS, the ability to effect response time and the quality of the response

provided is directly related to the availability of trained, volunteer first responders

from the local community; and

WHEREAS, the changing economic landscape of Ulster County which has

taken available volunteers farther from home or in the case of two parent households,

both into the workforce, has attributed to the personnel shortages; and

WHEREAS, the United States Fire Administration found emergency service

departments that have been unable to address the problems and challenges of

volunteering in today’s world have been forced to hire career responders,

consolidate, or even close their doors; and

WHEREAS, the National Fire Protection Association has found the number of

volunteer firefighters in the United States has declined by about 12% since 1984; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York

reported volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) experienced a decline

from more than 50,000 to 35,000 from the 1990s to today, with some rural

communities experiencing as much as a 50-percent depletion of their EMT ranks; and

WHEREAS, the New York State Legislature and Governor recognized the

vital need for immediate emergency fire and medical responses during states of local

and State declared emergencies when it recently passed a law to require employers to

grant leave to volunteer emergency responders; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature seeks to establish a policy to

increase the availability of trained, volunteer first responders in times of need in

order to best serve the residents of Ulster County; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, it is the policy of Ulster County that an Ulster County employee

who is classified as a Department Head, Managerial, Legislative, or Board of

Election employee shall be granted an excused leave while such employee is engaged

in the duties of a volunteer firefighter, a volunteer ambulance service member, or

volunteer rescue squad member; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this policy shall apply when the employee responds to an

emergency call while the employee is at work or if the employee is engaged in the

aforementioned duties when the employee is scheduled to be at work; and be it

further

RESOLVED, the excused leave shall be granted only when the employee has

previously provided written documentation from the head of the employee’s

volunteer fire department, volunteer ambulance service, or volunteer rescue squad, as

applicable, affirming the employee’s status as a volunteer firefighter or member of a

volunteer ambulance service; and be it further

RESOLVED, the excused leave granted pursuant to this policy shall be

charged against any other leave to which such employee is entitled; and be it further

RESOLVED, upon request, an employee who has been granted an excused

leave pursuant to this policy shall provide a notarized statement from the head of the

volunteer fire department, volunteer ambulance service, or volunteer rescue squad, as

applicable, certifying that said employee responded to any emergency; and be it

further

RESOLVED, the County Executive shall have the authority to deny excused

leaves for those employees whose responsibilities and/or duties are essential to

County operations; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this policy supersedes and replaces any and all existing

policies that provide for excused leave during a volunteer emergency request for

response that may apply to Department Heads, Managerial Staff, Legislative

Employees, and Board of Election Employees; and be it further

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature encourages the County Executive

to consider this vital community volunteer service when negotiating collective

bargaining agreements for all other Ulster County employees in the future,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED AS AMENDED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: 23 NOES: 0

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on June 1, 2015

Passed Committee: Ways and Means as amended on June 16, 2015

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE

Legislator Gerentine motioned, seconded by Legislator Ronk, to accept the resolution

in its amended form, as seen above, as the final resolution for adoption.

MOTION ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: 23 NOES: 0 

STATE OF NEW YORK

 ss:

COUNTY OF ULSTER

I, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Ulster, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is

the original resolution adopted by the Ulster County Legislature on the 16th Day of June in the year Two Thousand and

Fifteen, and said resolution shall remain on file in the office of said clerk.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the County of Ulster this 18th Day of June in

the year Two Thousand and Fifteen.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk

Ulster County Legislature

Submitted to the County Executive this Approved by the County Executive this

18th Day of June, 2015. 25

th Day of June, 2015.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella |s| Michael P. Hein

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk Michael P. Hein, County Executive

Ulster County Legislature