Volunteer firefighters are heroic figures who step in to save victims of devastating fires, risking death and serious injury, and they do it for no financial reward. If a volunteer firefighter becomes injured during their shift, can they get help from workers’ comp benefits? What options do they have to seek recovery after a volunteer firefighting injury causes severe damage?
Under current Pennsylvania law, many volunteer firefighters can receive workers’ comp benefits. To learn more about workers’ compensation for volunteer firefighters and how to claim your benefits, contact our Pennsylvania workers’ comp attorneys to schedule a free consultation.
Who Are Volunteer Firefighters?
We owe great thanks to our volunteer firefighters, who are community members who donate their time and efforts to help their local fire departments for no charge. These unpaid volunteers usually work part-time or on-call to help answer calls, assist firefighters, or extinguish fires.
Over half (65 percent) of the firefighters in the United States are volunteers, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council. That means over 676,000 fighters are serving on a volunteer basis. In Pennsylvania alone, there were 38,000 volunteer firefighters in a recent year, according to the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute. Many fire departments are all volunteers.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage for Volunteer Firefighters
The laws regarding volunteer firefighter benefits in Pennsylvania have changed in recent years. In 2020, benefits expanded for volunteer firefighters under Senate Bill 92. The bill added three new categories of people who were considered “members of volunteer fire departments or volunteer fire companies” for the purposes of receiving workers’ comp benefits. They are:
- Directors and officers of a volunteer fire department or company
- People who have been named a “Special Fire Police Officer” under Pennsylvania law
- Volunteers for the fire department who “provide necessary operational support but do not respond to emergency calls”
It should be noted that “social members” of a volunteer fire department are not included in the definition, which refers to people who volunteer mainly to participate in social events or fraternize with firefighters.
What does this mean for volunteer firefighters injured during a shift?
You could qualify for volunteer firefighter benefits if you sustained an injury and the injury resulted in a loss of earning power. In other words, if you can no longer work your normal wage-earning position, you could qualify for volunteer firefighter benefits.
Benefits Available to Volunteer Firefighters
If you qualify to receive workers’ compensation for volunteer firefighters, your benefits would be calculated based on the statewide average weekly wage. This means that regardless of your salary, your wage-loss benefits will equal at least the statewide average weekly wage. This also applies to volunteer firefighters who are otherwise retired or unemployed.
In addition to these wage-loss benefits, injured volunteer firefighters may also qualify to receive compensation for:
- Reasonable medical care related to the injury
- Death benefits for family members if the volunteer firefighter dies while responding to a fire
- Specific loss benefits if the injured firefighter lost a limb or digit
- Disfigurement benefits if the victim sustains a permanent disfiguring injury
Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim
The first step towards receiving workers’ compensation is to report your injury to the fire department. Pennsylvania gives injured workers 21 days to report an injury, but you should inform your supervisor ASAP.
Next, you must receive medical attention. While you are healing from your injury, the fire department will submit a claim to their insurer. If your claim is approved, you should be receiving benefits shortly. If it’s denied, you may need the help of an attorney when appealing the claim.
Contact the worker’s compensation lawyers at Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. if you need help obtaining workers’ compensation for volunteer firefighters. We understand the law, especially complicated matters like volunteer firefighter benefits after a fire-related injury. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
This post was originally published in January 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in September 2024.
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For more than 20 years, our attorneys have been helping injured workers navigate the complex Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. We empower workers with the information and the representation they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families’ future.
