NYS Law requiring a CDL for apparatus drivers

I am just curious about the views pertaining to the law that is in effect for firefighters driving the rigs. I have just found out that by law you are supposed to have a CDL to drive the vehicles. The only time it can be driven by someone without that license is when responding to an emergency. I find this law to be very impractical, especially considering the majority of fire departments in this state are volunteer organizations. Can anyone give me any more information on this law and is it adhered to where you are?

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Permalink Reply by Cameron Monroe, Captain, Argyle on March 5, 2009 at 10:29pm

We do the best we can- Like u stated going to the call any EVOC trained firefighter- We have a few CDL members so we try to have them drive back to the station. If u look around u will find alot of info on this and the fact "WE" as firefighters are trying to change it. "WE" have an amendment going now to fix it if it passes law.

Permalink Reply by TJ.JONES on March 6, 2009 at 2:05am

ha were are working around it here but if thats the case and they want us to have a cdl then i personally think other services in the state should follow the laws i wont single anyone out but i do know that some other people talk on cell phones have tinted windows if you know what i mean.its a little funny how this came in affect in 2005 and is now being talked about 4 years later makes you wonder

Permalink Reply by Wes on March 6, 2009 at 6:45am

2 bills have been introduced to strike the language from the original bills that have put that stipulation in. I agree driving a vehicle the size of a tanker or pumper is an extremely dangerous job, but it can be done w/o having to obtain a CDL. Please contact your NYS legislators regarding this bill. I'd like to believe it was just a simple misjudgement.

A6051 Sweeney (MS) Same as S 1624-A FOLEY
Vehicle and Traffic Law
TITLE....Allows a person to operate a fire truck without possessing a commercial drivers license

02/24/09 referred to transportation

Permalink Reply by Amy on March 6, 2009 at 7:16am

It sounds like at this point we need strength in numbers to go to the legislators and get this changed. How long ago were those two bills introduced and are they being acted upon as quickly as they should be? In my area we recently had a page 3 article in the local paper discussing this law and how no one follows it. It seems to have opened a whole new can of worms now that more and more people are becoming aware. But now that the awareness is there, I agree that we, as firefighters, need to do something about it.

Permalink Reply by Zack Spalding on March 8, 2009 at 4:20pm

I have heard of fire depts won't call back in service till the equipment is at the fire house and leave the rear code 3 lights on for the return trip from the scene to the fire house. From an untest legal point of view you would still be consider working an emergency scene till you call back in service. At the moment it is a work around till the law is fixed up, I am not exactly sure how my dept is going to handle it. I know there have been some meetings, not sure what the outcome of those were yet. But a lot of our usual drivers do have CDL already.

Permalink Reply by Dave Wenck on April 3, 2009 at 10:25pm

At our regular monthly meeting in March, all the dept's in Delaware county recived a e-mail from our coordinator's office saying that this was a law that was passed in 2005 and that they,the coordinater's office, would like to have every one comply with it. Most of the other dept. around here have cdl driver's around most of the time so untill the law is removed from the book's , let's not have all the non cdl people run out and spend alot of money on training and road test's. The way i look at it if your dept. has agood training program to teach you how to control a 30,000 to 40,000 lb truck on a narrow lane and half dirt road after jumping out of your 2,000lb car at 2am, the law should be removed , if not then i think the state should step up to the plate and set up training for those of us who want it, or for deptartment's that don't have any cdl driver's or a limited number. New York State should also not charge you for this added endorsement on your license if you use it only at your VOULUNTEER deptartment as for the the paid department's, well that's their job so they should have to pay for the endorsement. Sorry. So for the time being we just have to live with this money making scheme that our elected official's passed,just to make moneyand it will cost you if you get a ticket for driving out of class,untill it get's amended or what ever they do with stupid idea's like this.

Permalink Reply by Nathan Richardson on April 15, 2009 at 10:10pm

i agree how about an EVOC endorsement on regular license added free of charge to volunteer firefighters

Permalink Reply by morris washburn on May 10, 2009 at 9:03pm

I think the one thing everyone is over looking is that UNTILL YOU have an accident ,the law will work with you . If you have commen sence then your driveing experience is as good as the word of you r officer .. So I say Just relaxe and enjoy the ride .. But as far as the lights being on , now you are asking for trouble , its not an emergency going BACK to the firehall.

Permalink Reply by Dave Wenck on August 22, 2009 at 10:03pm

Well it's mid august and we all know what happened . It should have never gone as far as it did....

Permalink Reply by Tom Wheland on November 1, 2009 at 6:31pm