Substitute House Bill No. 5279, Public Act No. 24-16, is an act concerning the authority to declare that a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical service personnel died in the line of duty. The bill amends Section 7-313e of the general statutes, effective October 1, 2024, to grant fire chiefs or officers-in-charge expanded authority during emergency responses. These authorities include controlling emergency activities, ordering evacuations, blockading areas, entering buildings to extinguish fires, inspecting buildings for fire prevention, ordering the disengagement of vehicle convoys, and taking command of industrial fire brigades. The bill includes insertions that renumber the subsections and replace gender-specific language with gender-neutral terms.

Additionally, the bill establishes that if a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical service personnel dies due to a cardiac event, stroke, or pulmonary embolism within 24 hours after concluding a shift or training, the respective chief or administrative head of their department has the authority to determine if the death occurred in the line of duty. This determination is not to be used as evidence for a workers' compensation claim. The bill specifies that if a local charter or ordinance provides this authority to a different individual or entity, that provision will take precedence. The act was approved on May 14, 2024, and will take effect on October 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-294i
PS Joint Favorable Substitute: 7-313e
File No. 231: 7-313e
PD Joint Favorable: 7-313e
File No. 650: 7-313e
Public Act No. 24-16: 7-313e