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A4353
ASSEMBLY, No. 4353
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires Director of Office of Homeland Security and
Preparedness to develop training program for first responders regarding
protocols for responding to emergency in war zone.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning training for first responders and
supplementing chapter 9 of Appendix A.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:
���� �Director� means the Director
of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.�
���� "Emergency medical
response entity" means an organization, company, governmental entity,
community-based program, or healthcare system that provides pre-hospital
emergency medical services.
���� "Emergency medical
responder" means a person, other than a health care practitioner, who is
employed on a paid or volunteer basis in the area of emergency response,
including, but not limited to, an emergency medical technician acting in a professional
capacity.
���� �First responder� means a law
enforcement officer, paid or volunteer firefighter, emergency medical
responder, or any other person who, in the course of that person�s employment,
is dispatched to the scene of an emergency for the purpose of providing assistance.
���� �First response entity� means
an organization, company, governmental entity, community-based agency or
program, or other organized group that employs two or more first responders,
whether on a paid or volunteer basis, for dispatch to emergency scenes.
���� �War� means a state of armed
hostile conflict between nations.
���� b.��� Within 180 days of the
effective date of this act, the director, in consultation with the New Jersey
National Guard, the Armed Forces of the United States of America, the New
Jersey Office of Emergency Management county coordinators, and upon seeking input
from the New Jersey Hospital Association, EMS Council of New Jersey, and other
emergency medical responders and emergency medical response entities operating
in any county in this State, shall develop a training program for first
responders on protocols and response procedures to follow when dispatched to an
emergency that is the result of an act of war.� The training program shall, at
a minimum, provide comprehensive training regarding what to expect when
dispatched to the scene of an emergency resulting from an act of war;
strategies for treating wartime injuries; hazards particular to a war zone,
such as hazardous materials that may be released during a military attack or
the risk of injury to the first responder due to continued attack; methods for
protecting oneself against an attack and from hazardous materials that may be
released during a military attack; and the psychological impact of responding
to the scene of an emergency resulting from an act of war.
���� c.���� First responders shall
complete this training program biannually.�
���� d.��� The director shall adopt
guidelines to effectuate the purposes of this section.�
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires the
Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to develop a
training program for first responders regarding protocols for responding to an
emergency in a war zone.�
���� Within 180 days of the
effective date of this bill, the director is required to develop a training
program for first responders on protocols and response procedures to follow
when dispatched to an emergency that is the result of an act of war.� The training
program is required, at a minimum, to provide comprehensive training regarding
what to expect when dispatched to the scene of an emergency resulting from an
act of war; strategies for treating wartime injuries; hazards particular to a
war zone, such as hazardous materials that may be released during a military
attack or the risk of injury due to continued attack; methods to protect
against attack and exposure to hazardous materials that may be released during
a military attack; and the psychological impact of responding to the scene of
an emergency resulting from an act of war.�
���� The bill requires the director
to consult with the New Jersey National Guard, Armed Forces of the United
States, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management county coordinators, and
seek input from the New Jersey Hospital Association, EMS Council of New Jersey,
and other emergency medical responders and emergency medical response entities
operating in this State.�
���� First responders are required
to complete this program biannually.�
���� The sponsor notes that due to
the events taking place in Ukraine and the growing tension between China and
Taiwan, it is of the utmost importance that New Jersey�s first responders be
prepared for the possibility of a military attack on this State.� First
responders are the first to arrive to the scene of an emergency and should
receive the training necessary to protect themselves and others when dispatched
to the scene of an emergency resulting from an act of war.