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State Rep. Fred Camillo of Greenwich is pushing a bill in the legislature that would enable municipalities to cover the legal costs of volunteer emergency responders.
Camillo and Cos Cob Fire Chief Brian Kelly spoke on behalf of the measure Monday at a hearing of the House of Representatives Planning and Development Committee in Hartford.
If approved by the lawmakers, the proposal would put volunteer responders on the same footing as municipal employes concerning legal fees.
Camillo said there is no state law requiring municipalities to assume costs of a volunteer firefighter's legal defense. "The firefighter indemnification statute does allow the municipality and the firefighter to be represented by the same attorney [unless] the municipality files a written notice with the court indicating that it will pay any verdict rendered against the firefighter."
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