N.Y. General Municipal Law § 204-b: Youth programs

§ 204-b. Youth programs. 1. Volunteer fire departments and fire

companies may establish, operate and maintain youth programs to provide

participants with the opportunity to become familiar with the programs

and operations of fire departments, to provide programs in community

fire safety, fire prevention, and public fire prevention education, and

to curtail false fire alarms by developing community wide respect for

the fire service.

2. Volunteer fire departments and fire companies shall establish rules

and regulations governing youth programs established pursuant to

subdivision one hereof, which shall include the minimum and maximum age

for participation, the procedure for participation, removal or

expulsion, residence, and provision for adequate supervision of such

programs.

3. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any volunteer

fire department or fire company, any member or members thereof,

officers, board of fire commissioners or other body or office having

authority to determine eligibility for participation in such programs

pursuant to this section, to exclude or expel from participation in such

programs any individual because of race, creed, color, sex or national

origin, or to discriminate against any participant because of race,

creed, color or national origin.

4. No person shall participate in such program without the written

consent of his or her parent or guardian. Such consent shall continue

until withdrawn. If withdrawn, participation in such program shall

automatically terminate.

5. All activities of participants in such program shall be approved in

advance by the chief, or his designee. No activities may include

emergency duties in connection with fire department or fire company

operations or any other hazardous activity.

6. Participants in such programs shall not be eligible for any benefit

provided by the volunteer firefighters' benefit law.

7. Volunteer fire departments and fire companies may purchase accident

insurance to insure participants in such programs against injury or

death resulting from bodily injuries sustained in performance of

approved activities. In addition, they may purchase insurance to protect

against liability arising from approved activities. The insurance

purchased pursuant to this subdivision may include medical and hospital

coverage.

8. No youth program shall be established pursuant to subdivision one

of this section unless authorized as follows: in a city the youth

program must be authorized by the board of fire commissioners or other

body or officer having control of fire department; in a village the

program must be approved by the board of fire commissioners or, if there

is no board of fire commissioners, the village board of trustees; in a

fire district the program must be authorized by the board of fire

commissioners; in a town outside a village or a fire district the

program must be authorized by the town board.