The Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 1643) would provide up to 14 days per calendar year of job protection for volunteer emergency services personnel who respond to a presidentially declared disaster in an official capacity.

"Volunteer first responders shouldn't be put in the position of having to choose between their jobs and responding to a major disaster," said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. "Passage of H.R. 1643 would eliminate the threat of termination or demotion."

The legislation also would reduce pressure on emergency managers who rely heavily on the availability and performance of the more than 800,000 volunteer first responders around the country. Pre-emergency planners must know what assets they have available to them so the deployment process can move as smoothly and quickly as possible.

The bill provides up to 14 days of job protection per calendar year. If additional aid is needed after that period of time, a new group of first responders can be brought in to replace the ones who have exhausted their job protection limit.

Under H.R. 1643, employers would not be required to compensate employees for time missed, and employees would be required to make a reasonable effort to notify their employers that they will miss work. Employees would be required to continue to provide reasonable updates over the course of their absence.

The legislation only applies to emergency responders acting in an official capacity. "Self-responders" would not be eligible for job protection under H.R. 1643 and employers have the right to ask for documentation from the official supervising the response to verify that the employee was involved in an official capacity.

Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) introduced the act, along with original co-sponsors Michael Castle (R-Del.), Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.). Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) is expected to introduce companion legislation to H.R. 1643 in the Senate.