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Thank you for visiting the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters
Association website.
JOIN TODAY! Department’s memberships will speak as a stronger
voice in guiding the future of all Fire & Emergency Services in
Nebraska. Enrollment documents were mailed June 8 to department
addresses but are also available on the Forms page of this web
site or at the Membership tab.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The NSVFA E-Board, approved by motion,
a grace period of July 1, 2010, to September 1, 2010, for NSVFA
dues to be paid for renewing memberships. What does this mean?
Memberships not renewed by September 1, 2010, will have the
newspaper and $4,000 accidental death and dismemberment
insurance discontinued until such time that memberships are
renewed.
Also available is the Gold Badge
Associate Membership and Corporate Sponsor Membership.
Corporate Sponsor Membership:
Beginning with the next NSVFA membership period of July 1, 2010,
to June 30, 2011, the NSVFA is introducing a new membership
program for Corporate Sponsor Membership. The Corporate Sponsor
Membership will be offered at three levels; Gold, Silver and
Bronze. Depending on the sponsorship level chosen, varying
benefits are provided to the corporate sponsor that may include
2011 Fire School vendor space, 2011 Fire School Book advertising
space, 2010 Annual Conference Book advertising space and
subscriptions to the Nebraska Firefighter news publication. A
Gold sponsor may be provided a link on the NSVFA web site and
recognition plaques are provided to all sponsors. These
memberships are available to businesses, business persons,
corporations, organizations or others who have an interest in
supporting members of the NSVFA through Corporate sponsorship.
The membership form may be found on the forms page of this web
site or under the Membership tab to the left on this home
screen.
LB 780 - MENTAL-MENTAL WORK COMP BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
On April 14, Governor Dave Heineman signed LB 780 into law. The
passage of the legislation was a significant victory for first
responders (defined to include volunteer fire and rescue
personnel) in Nebraska.
Before the passage of this bill, mental disability was only
compensable if it was accompanied by physical injury. Now, under
the passage of LB 780, a first responder suffering mental injury
will be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits if it is
established that the first responder’s employment conditions
causing the mental injury were extraordinary and unusual in
comparison to the normal conditions of the activities of the
first responder. The first responder will be required to show
through medical evidence that the mental injury or mental
illness was caused by the employment activities of the first
responder. Even though the term, “employment,” is used
throughout this particular bill and throughout the Workers’
Compensation Act, volunteers have been included in the Workers’
Compensation Act because of a separate definitional section
which was added several decades ago.
In signing LB 780, the Governor’s cautioned that the $8,000.00
annual cost for claims estimated by the Legislature’s Fiscal
Office caused him concern about the veracity of the estimate.
Further the law will expire in four years. If the estimated cost
turns out to be inaccurate, the Governor has stated that he
would ask the Legislature to repeal the law.
The NSVFA wishes to express its thanks to the senators and the
Governor for their actions and support of volunteers.
2010 BROWNING MEMORIAL AWARD RECIPIENT – MICHAELA WOHLERS
Michaela Wohlers and her family wish to thank all the
departments who provided gifts and honored Michaela with the
Browning Memorial Award at the 2010 Fire School.
New Benefits: During the
2009-10 year, the NSVFA established three new benefit
partnerships. In addition to the American Income Life $4,000
accidental dismemberment insurance, the Nebraska Firefighter
newspaper, the Fire School class fee member discount, and the
availability of Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust to
members of the NSVFA, membership now also offers the following
new benefits.
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ATIRAcredit Master Card
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Columbia Southern University online education
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Enterprise rental discounts
Visit the NSVFA Member Benefit
Partnerships tab for additional information or click the icons
to the right for more details.
The NSVFA sponsors
lobbying at state and national levels, supporting a Nebraska
State Lobbyist and two representatives to the National Volunteer
Fire Council. Each year the NSVFA and Nebraska Fire Chief’s
Association executive boards meet with their Legislative and EMS
Committees to choose legislative goals which senators may
sponsor in the upcoming session. Each January, the NSVFA and
Fire Chiefs sponsor an annual breakfast with the senators to
which all members are invited where they may visit with senators
about the importance of the fire and EMS services in Nebraska
and to ask the senators assistance with upcoming legislative
matters. Following the breakfast, a Legislative Stance meeting
is held that is open to all members of the NSVFA and Nebraska
Fire Chief’s Association where upcoming legislative bills are
discussed and stances developed by the two Associations.
These efforts have paid off. The following list of bills is a
small sample of those approved in recent years that are
important to Nebraska fire and EMS services:
APPROVED April 5,
2007, LB 160 to Change fire and rescue department
provisions relating to clothing, equipment, and donations
APPROVED March 31,
2008, LB 948, the Emergency Responders Job
Protection Act, was incorporated into LB 1096
APPROVED April 9,
2009, LB 110, Providing for Specialty License Plates
(The Department of Motor Vehicles processes and regulations
for this bill are being developed.)
APPROVED April 22,
2009, LB 206, Adopt the In the Line of Duty
Dependent Education Act This bill will provide education
benefits for surviving children of LODDs for those attending
state universities, state colleges and community colleges
located in Nebraska.
APPROVED May 13,
2009, LB 92, Move-Over Bill, Serious support was
provided by the NSVFA and the AAA.
APPROVED May 19,
2009, LB 198, Adopt the Reduced Cigarette Ignition
Propensity Act Beginning January 1, 2010, cigarette
manufacturers and cigarette retailers will be required to
produce, market and sell only cigarettes that comply with
the Fire-Safe Cigarette law.
APPROVED April 14,
2010, LB 780, Mental-Mental Workers Comp - a first
responder suffering mental injury will be able to recover
workers’ compensation benefits upon establishing certain
criteria. The law will expire in four years
The Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters
Association
Needs your membership!
Please refer to the membership tab for more information.
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"To provide a unified voice
for the fire and rescue services
across the state, to provide advice
and guidance pertaining to
legislative issues, to encourage
education and training within the
fire/rescue service and to promote a
communications network across the
state.” |
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You can make
a difference!
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