Lake Delta FD Stops Responding When City Denies Comp Coverage

The Lake Delta Fire Department from Rome, New York closed its doors yesterday, after the City of Rome announced it would no longer pay for workers compensation benefits for the volunteer firefighters. The city had previously picked up the tab which is said to be about $40,000 (which incidentally sounds pretty high for a department that covers a population of 3,200 addresses).

Here's the local news coverage:

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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