EMS/HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE
Protecting our members so they can protect their communities
CPF has been hard at work on issues relating to firefighter health and safety and emergency medical services. Your CPF team has been directly engaged in pre-rulemaking activities at Cal/OSHA and the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), as well as working hard to ensure effective implementation of critical legislation.
Firefighter Health & Safety
At the direction of CPF leadership, we have been engaged in multiple rulemaking and pre-rulemaking processes regarding personal protective equipment.
Wildland Respiratory Protection: Cal/OSHA, in collaboration with fire agencies, established a work group to assess breathing protection for firefighters operating in the wildland or wildland urban interface. CPF has been engaged in this pre-rulemaking process to ensure that any new technology or standards provide effective breathing protection as determined through field testing by active line firefighters.
Firefighter PPE Updates: The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has convened a Technical Advisory Committee to update firefighter PPE standards to the most recent version of NFPA standards, where appropriate. Formal rulemaking is likely to occur in 2026.
Removing Chemicals from Turnouts— AB 1181 (Haney): Following the passage of AB 1181, CPF will be working with Cal/OSHA and other stakeholders to consider and develop standards around turnouts that ensure field effectiveness while removing the need for toxic chemicals, including PFAS and other regrettable substitutes.
Emergency Medical Services
Working closely with CPF leadership and EMS Commission member/Alameda County Firefighters, Local 55, President Sean Burrows, CPF has been focused on protecting and promoting fire-based EMS.
Chapter 1: EMSA has been engaging stakeholders in pre-rulemaking discussions on Chapter 1, comprehensive regulations to more specifically govern roles and responsibilities in the EMS system. CPF has been actively engaged in this process by reviewing and providing recommendations focused on improving patient care, protecting .201 rights, promoting fire-based EMS, improving fire service autonomy in EMS delivery, and strengthening the role of elected officials to make decisions in the best intertest of their community. Further updates and formal rulemaking are expected in early 2026.
Reducing Wall Times: With the adoption of regulations in 2025 completing the implementation of AB 40, some jurisdictions have reported improvements in wall time, while others continue to face hurdles. Further data updates are expected at the upcoming EMS Commission meeting in December, and CPF is working hard to ensure hospitals work to get you off the wall and back into service.
CPF is proud to support our members and ensure all efforts to improve health and safety center the needs and input of firefighters. We appreciate the collaboration of all our leaders and members.
Should you have any questions, please contact CPF Director of Governmental Affairs, Doug Subers, at dsubers@cpf.org.
Behavioral Health Update
The California fire service came together this past September for the month-long Suicide Prevention and Awareness Safety Stand Down. The materials and activities shared were crafted to help foster open, honest conversations about mental health in the fire service. The resources, materials, and toolkit are available year-round at HealingOurOwn.org. A special thank-you to Oxnard Fire Department Chief Alexander Hamilton for joining President Brian K. Rice on the Fire Wire podcast and sharing his insight on the importance of mental health in the fire service.
Additionally, the Behavioral Health Task Force recently convened to discuss current efforts and next steps to continue supporting the well-being of our members.
Updating and curating resources, developing clinician training and recruitment, and advancing retiree behavioral health resources are a few of the priority initiatives for the Task Force.