February 23, 2024
9:30 a.m.—3 p.m.
Saluda Shoals Park – River Center
5605 Bush River Rd. Columbia, SC 29212
This is a FREE course, but please register so we can have a head count for lunch.
FLSA Bootcamp for Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments
Curt Varone, JD, EFO has 45+ yrs in the fire service & 35+ yrs as a practicing attorney licensed in RI & ME. He is a retired deputy chief from Providence RI, a Contributing Editor for Firehouse Magazine, & operates Fire Law Blog. He remains active as a deputy chief in Exeter RI.
No law impacts fire departments more than the Fair Labor Standards Act.
It’s the perfect storm. Volunteerism is at an all-time low. Training and minimum standards are at an all-time high. Recruiting and retaining members is a nationwide-challenge.
It’s left many organizations opting to pay members to respond or be available for a shift. At what point does a volunteer become an employee?
Employees are entitled to minimum wage for all hours worked including volunteer hours. Then there’s overtime. There’s a lot at stake.
No law impacts fire departments more than the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Since 1985 when the US Supreme Court decided in the Garcia v. San Antonio ruling that the FLSA was applicable to state and local governments, fire service cases have played a leading role in shaping the wage and hour landscape.
This day-long bootcamp provides leaders of volunteer and combination fire departments with a foundation for understanding the FLSA, focusing on the topics of greatest concern including: what is a volunteer; compensation, benefits, expenses, and nominal fees; compensation for wildland deployments, and more.