Proposed Changes to the Fire Brigade Standard

The?US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?has proposed significant changes to the?Fire Brigade Standard?under?29 CFR 1910.156. This standard, enacted in 1980 and not updated since, has had minimal impact on the fire service until now. However, if the proposed changes go into effect following the comment period that ends on?May 6, 2024, it will have a more substantial influence.

Here are some key points about the proposed changes:

1. Title Change: The standard would no longer be titled “Fire Brigades.” Instead, it would be called?“Emergency Response.”
2. Alignment with NFPA Standards: The proposed changes heavily align OSHA with?NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)?standards. A total of?21 standards?are incorporated either in whole or in part, and?14 other standards?contribute to the new requirements to varying degrees. Some of the NFPA standards incorporated include: NFPA 1001: Standard for Structural Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications NFPA 1002: Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications NFPA 1910: Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Refurbishment, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles and Marine Firefighting Vessels And more
3. Public Input: OSHA is seeking input from the public before implementing these changes. Fire service professionals and stakeholders have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed revisions.