South Carolina: ObamaCare Threatening Future of Volunteer Fire Department

CAMERON The Affordable Care ░░░░░░░░ could force thousands of ░░░░░░░░ fire departments to shut ░░░░░░░░ O BOYLE It s ░░░░░░░░ called an unintended consequence ░░░░░░░░ under the new law ░░░░░░░░ departments are forced to ░░░░░░░░ health insurance for volunteers ░░░░░░░░ work more than 30 ░░░░░░░░ a week It s ░░░░░░░░ cost most departments can ░░░░░░░░ afford All new at ░░░░░░░░ o clock WBTV s ░░░░░░░░ O Connell is on ░░░░░░░░ side digging deeper into ░░░░░░░░ dilemma Start Clip BLACKWELDER ░░░░░░░░ our volunteers we would ░░░░░░░░ nothing O CONNELL For ░░░░░░░░ Blackwelder fighting fire is ░░░░░░░░ his blood BLACKWELDER Well ░░░░░░░░ dad was a fire ░░░░░░░░ when I was two ░░░░░░░░ old O CONNELL Blackwelder ░░░░░░░░ currently the Lancaster County ░░░░░░░░ marshal He oversees 19 ░░░░░░░░ stations and 300 volunteers ░░░░░░░░ predominately work full time ░░░░░░░░ their on call hours ░░░░░░░░ Our volunteers are here ░░░░░░░░ 7 and they are ░░░░░░░░ to risk their lives ░░░░░░░░ whatever and drop whatever ░░░░░░░░ are doing to come ░░░░░░░░ us O CONNELL Despite ░░░░░░░░ valor volunteer firefighters all ░░░░░░░░ the country are at ░░░░░░░░ of being extinguished by ░░░░░░░░ Affordable Care Act The ░░░░░░░░ defines volunteers working more ░░░░░░░░ 30 hours a week ░░░░░░░░ employees meaning departments have ░░░░░░░░ provide them with health ░░░░░░░░ Lancaster County Administrator Steve ░░░░░░░░ says it is a ░░░░░░░░ the county can t ░░░░░░░░ WILLIS If council made ░░░░░░░░ decision to go ahead ░░░░░░░░ offer them insurance if ░░░░░░░░ took full family coverage ░░░░░░░░ would literally be looking ░░░░░░░░ millions of dollars a ░░░░░░░░ O CONNELL This problem ░░░░░░░░ not unique to Lancaster ░░░░░░░░ According to the National ░░░░░░░░ Fire Council and the ░░░░░░░░ States there are more ░░░░░░░░ 783 000 volunteer firefighters ░░░░░░░░ is 70 percent of ░░░░░░░░ s firefighting force Furthermore ░░░░░░░░ are more than 20 ░░░░░░░░ volunteer fire departments in ░░░░░░░░ United States WILLIS Our ░░░░░░░░ are the backbone of ░░░░░░░░ safety As far as ░░░░░░░░ fire service goes here ░░░░░░░░ Lancaster County we literally ░░░░░░░░ t do without them.”