WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the request of leading fire service proponents in the House of Representatives, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will soon be looking into issues that are affecting the right to volunteer.
On November 19, Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (NY), Curt Weldon (PA) and Nick Smith requested that GAO commence a study on the circumstances in which career firefighters are restricted from volunteering for other fire departments during their off-duty hours. They are looking to determine how limitations on volunteering may be affecting the ability of fire departments to carry out their responsibilities.
More specifically the study that will look into the following:
- An estimate of the number of career firefighters who volunteer during off-duty hours;
- The extent and origin of any restrictions on volunteering, including an estimate of the number of fire departments and firefighters affected by such policies, as well as the reasons such policies were put in place; and
- An examination of staffing levels at volunteer and combination fire departments in areas where fire departments prohibit or discourage or discourage career firefighters from volunteering in another jurisdiction during off-duty hours.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), formerly called the General Accounting Office, is an agency that works for Congress to study the programs and expenditures of the federal government. GAO, commonly called the investigative arm of Congress or the congressional watchdog, is independent and nonpartisan. It advises Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more effective and responsive. GAO evaluates federal programs, audits federal expenditures, issues legal opinions and recommends actions.
