A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis is signing legislation to help firefighters.
At the 81st Annual Convention of the Florida Professional Firefighters, DeSantis officially approved another bill to boost these first responders.
“The bill strengthens our commitment to the health and safety of our firefighters,” DeSantis said of HB 929.
The legislation, which passed both the Senate and House without a “no” vote, does a lot of things, the Governor explained.
“It updates the Florida Firefighters’ Occupational Safety and Health Act to reflect the full scope of fire harm that firefighters face, including occupational diseases, and mental health ramifications. This is something that I know people have been working on for a long time,” DeSantis said.
“It will create work schedules that limit regular shifts to 42 hours per week to reduce burnout and fatigue. And importantly, it means adding suicide prevention to our safety protocols, treating it with the seriousness it deserves, and taking real steps to prevent those tragedies. So with HB 929, we’re providing our firefighters with the additional tools, support and protection that they deserve.”
A legislator who carried the bill also spoke at the event. Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez noted that his larger goal is to make sure “cops and firefighters are seen and respected the same as a veteran.”
The Governor has signed legislation already this year to protect firefighters injured in training exercises, and Thursday’s move continues that course of action.
