As Introduced

128th General Assembly Regular Session 2009-2010

H. B. No. 403

Representative DeGeeter 

Cosponsors: Representatives Evans, Murray, Ujvagi, Domenick, Foley, Dodd, Harwood, Bacon, Brown, Williams, B., Bolon, Slesnick, Letson, Yuko, Hagan, Derickson, Sears 

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A BILL

To enact section 737.053 of the Revised Code to

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authorize a nonchartered municipal corporation to

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establish a community emergency response team

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within the public safety department of the

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municipal corporation.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 737.053 of the Revised Code be	6
enacted to read as follows:	7

Sec. 737.053.  The legislative authority of a municipal	8
corporation may establish, by ordinance, a community emergency	9
response team within the public safety department of the municipal	10
corporation, and provide for the regulation of community emergency	11
response team members. The director of public safety shall be the	12
executive head of the community emergency response team unit,	13
shall make all appointments and removals of team members, subject	14
to any general rules prescribed by the legislative authority by	15
ordinance, and shall prescribe rules for the organization,	16
training, administration, control, and conduct of the community	17
emergency response team unit. Members of the community emergency	18
response team unit shall not be in the classified service of the	19
city and shall not be eligible for membership in the public	20
employees retirement system.	21

A "community emergency response team" is a group of	22
volunteers who educate persons in the municipal corporation about	23
disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact the community	24
and trains those persons in basic disaster response skills, such	25
as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and	26
disaster medical operations. Members of the community emergency	27
response team may assist first responders in accordance with the	28
policies developed by the director of public safety.	29

A community emergency response team providing service to a	30
municipal corporation under this section has the same immunities	31
and defenses in a civil action that a political subdivision has	32
under section 2744.02 of the Revised Code. The members of the	33
community emergency response team have the same immunities and	34
defenses in a civil action that employees of a political	35
subdivision have under section 2744.03 of the Revised Code.	36