You asked how many towns have used PA 03-254, which allows them to open their municipal employee health insurance plans to volunteer firefighters, as long as the firefighters (1) join willingly, (2) agree to pay 100% of the premium and any additional costs, and (3) meet the town’s definition of an active member of the volunteer fire department.

We could find no entity or organization that keeps such information and we did not find any volunteer departments whose members have joined the town employee health plan.

At our request the Connecticut Fire Academy and Commission on Fire Prevention and Control sent out an e-mail request on their fire department listserve asking if any departments have firefighters with insurance under the provisions of PA 03-254. A number of departments responded that they were not aware of the law. The Windsor Volunteer Fire Department and the three Monroe volunteer fire departments say they were interested in the option, but no one signed up. Chief David York, of the Stevenson Volunteer Fire Department in Monroe, said he thought a few of his younger volunteers, who he knew had no insurance, might be interested. But they never joined, and the chief does not know why.

JM: ro