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HB 5300

AN ACT REDEFINING "FIRE DEPARTMENT" TO SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE FIRE MARSHALS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ben McGorty and 1 co-sponsor

Connecticut bill clarifies that fire marshals are legally included in the "fire department" definition, potentially affecting their statutory authority, benefits, and operational oversight.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Safety and Security
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Bill Summary · HB 5300

Legislative bill overview

HB 5300 amends Connecticut's statutory definition of "fire department" to explicitly include fire marshals within that definition. This clarification ensures that fire marshals are legally recognized as part of fire department operations rather than existing in an ambiguous regulatory status. The bill is a technical legislative fix to align statutory language with operational reality.

Why is this important

Fire marshals perform critical fire prevention, investigation, and enforcement duties that directly affect public safety. Clarifying their statutory inclusion in the fire department definition can affect their authority, benefits eligibility, liability protections, training requirements, and jurisdictional powers. This definitional change may have cascading implications for labor agreements, pension eligibility, overtime rules, and enforcement capabilities across Connecticut municipalities.

Potential points of contention

  • Labor and benefits implications: Fire marshals may gain or lose benefits, overtime eligibility, or pension classifications depending on how the expanded definition interacts with existing labor agreements and municipal contracts
  • Resource allocation: Including fire marshals under the fire department definition could affect how fire department budgets, staffing ratios, and liability insurance are calculated and allocated
  • Jurisdictional overlap: Expanding the definition might create conflicts between fire marshals and traditional firefighters regarding authority, chain of command, or responsibility areas in multi-department responses

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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