RNC Research

Across The Country, ObamaCare Threatens Volunteer Fire Departments That Mostly Serve Rural Areas. “Fire chiefs and lawmakers are working to protect the system of volunteer firefighting that has served rural America for more than a century but is threatened by an ambiguity in President Barack Obama’s health care law. Small and rural fire departments from California to Maine, which has one of the country’s highest percentages of volunteer and on-call firefighters, rely on volunteers to avoid the budget-strapping cost of paying them to be on duty in between fighting fires.” (Alanna Durkin, “Health Law Leaves Volunteer Firefighting In Limbo,” The Associated Press, 1/5/14)

• As The Federal Tax Code Recognizes Volunteer Firefighters As Employees, Fire Departments Must Provide Health Insurance Or Pay A Penalty As Mandated By ObamaCare. “The volunteers are considered employees for tax purposes, a classification that grew out of an ongoing effort to attract firefighters by offering them such incentives as stipends, retirement benefits and free gym memberships. That leaves open the question of whether the volunteer firefighters fall under the health care law’s requirement that employers with 50 or more employees working at least 30 hours a week must provide health insurance for them. Fire departments say they can’t afford to pay such a cost.” (Alanna Durkin, “Health Law Leaves Volunteer Firefighting In Limbo,” The Associated Press, 1/5/14)

ObamaCare May Force Fire Departments “To Reduce The Number Of Hours Firefighters Can Volunteer Or Eliminate The Benefit Programs.” “Faced with the cost of insurance, or being fined if they fail to provide it, departments would likely be forced to reduce the number of hours firefighters can volunteer or eliminate the benefit programs, officials said.” (Alanna Durkin, “Health Law Leaves Volunteer Firefighting In Limbo,” The Associated Press, 1/5/14)

Freeport, Maine Fire Chief Said The Department Was Bracing For Extra Costs That Would Cost The City “About $75,000, Or A Penalty Of $150,000.” “Darrel Fournier, fire chief in Freeport, a town of about 8,000 people near the coast in southern Maine that’s home to L.L. Bean, said his department is bracing for what could be significant costs under the health care law. He expects he’ll have to provide coverage for the five firefighters he employs part time. That would cost the city - and ultimately taxpayers - about $75,000, or a penalty of $150,000.” (Alanna Durkin, “Health Law Leaves Volunteer Firefighting In Limbo,” The Associated Press, 1/5/14)

• “To Avoid The Penalty, Freeport Could Cut Back On The Number Of Hours Part-Time And Volunteer Firefighters Have To Work.” “To avoid the penalty, Freeport could cut back on the number of hours part-time and volunteer firefighters have to work. But that would mean finding more volunteers to make up the difference, something the department and others across the country already struggle to do, Fournier said. When he started in Freeport in 1972, there was a waiting list of 25 people. After three months actively recruiting in the community, Fournier said he’s lucky that he’ll soon be interviewing nine potential volunteer firefighters.” (Alanna Durkin, “Health Law Leaves Volunteer Firefighting In Limbo,” The Associated Press, 1/5/14)

Local News Stations Across The Country Have Noticed The Possible Threats Facing Volunteer Firefighters