Chapter
577
2006 -- S 2346
Enacted 07/14/06
A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS
AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- CAUSES OF ACTION --
FIREFIGHTERS'
IMMUNITY
Introduced By: Senators
Sheehan, Polisena, McCaffrey, Blais, and Ruggerio
Date Introduced: February
07, 2006
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 9-1-27 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-1 entitled "Causes of
Action"
is hereby amended to read as follows:
9-1-27.
Police and firefighters -- Immunity from liability. -- (a) No
member of any
police
force or fire department of the state or any city or town, investigators of the
department of
attorney
general appointed pursuant to section 42-9-8.1, inspectors and agents of the
Rhode
Island
state fugitive task force appointed pursuant to section 12-6-7.2, or any person
acting in the
capacity
of a rescue attendant or member of a rescue squad, and no officer or member in
active
service
in any incorporated protective department cooperating with fire departments,
and no
person
performing the duties of a firefighter in a town or city, and no member of any
volunteer
fire
company or volunteer rescue squad or member of any voluntary ambulance
association,
whether the
company or squad is incorporated or not, who while on duty and in the
performance
of that
duty voluntarily and gratuitously renders emergency assistance to a person in
need thereof,
and no
person properly certified by the American heart association or the American
national red
cross in
basic or advanced life support as defined in the standards of the American
heart
association
or the American national red cross who voluntarily and gratuitously renders
emergency
assistance to a person in need thereof shall be liable for civil damages for
any personal
injuries
or property damage which result from acts or omissions by the persons
rendering the
emergency
care, which may constitute ordinary negligence. This immunity does not apply to
acts
or
omissions constituting gross, willful, or wanton negligence.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00316
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