House Bill No. 5480, reported by the Committee on Public Safety and Security, proposes technical revisions to public safety statutes. The bill includes two main sections with changes effective from October 1, 2024. The first section amends subsection (a) of section 7-277a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, specifically subdivision (2), which deals with the provision of police assistance between municipalities during emergency situations. The amendment allows for the chief of police, or their designee, to request and provide police assistance for up to twenty-four hours to another municipality in an emergency. It also specifies that unless there is a written agreement stating otherwise, the municipality providing assistance will bear the costs incurred, including payments for death, disability, injury, and losses or damages to supplies or equipment.
The second section amends subsection (d) of section 23-37 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, which pertains to the State Forest Fire Warden's authority to supplement state forest fire control personnel with temporary emergency workers. The amendment clarifies the title "State Forest Fire Warden" and allows for the addition of temporary emergency workers who meet specific training and qualification requirements. The Department of Administrative Services is tasked with assisting in developing appropriate classifications for these workers. The bill, which includes insertions such as "such chief's designee" and capitalization corrections, and deletions like "state forest fire warden" to "State Forest Fire Warden," has no fiscal impact on the state or municipalities as per the Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis.