Colchester Legislators: New Proposal Aims to Better Protect Firefighters

Sen. Art Linares (standing) briefs area firefighters on the new “Fire Station Work Zone” legislation.

At the Colchester Fire Department on June 19, from left to right: Rep. Linda Orange, Colchester Fire Chief Walter Cox, Sen. Art Linares

Sen. Art Linares and Rep. Linda Orange on June 19 visited the Colchester Fire Department to discuss a bill they successfully co-sponsored in the state legislature which aims to better protect firefighters.

The purpose of the legislation, which now awaits the governor’s signature, is to enhance the safety of firefighters as they come to and from the station. At many fire stations across the state, firefighters often must back their apparatus into the fire house after returning from a structure fire or car accident. In testimony before the state legislature, one local fire chief said that in the past six months his department’s vehicles have had two near misses. One driver swerved around the fire truck, hit a curb and blew out a tire. A second drove around the truck across the neighbor’s lawn.

The bill creates a new “work zone” designation for fire stations. By creating that designation, it allows signage to be placed at the beginning of the work zone and ending of the work zone. It doubles the basic fines for speeding or committing certain other traffic violations in a conspicuously designated fire station work zone in which a uniformed firefighter is directing traffic. The legislation allows municipalities, at their option, to put the signage out. It will be a municipal option, rather than a state mandate. If the bill is signed, it would take effect on October 1.