Gov. Mills signs Sen. Vitelli’s “good neighbor” emergency response bill
AUGUSTA – Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill sponsored by Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, into law. LD 783, “An Act to Protect Certain Private Emergency Services Personnel from Liability Under the Maine Tort Claims Act,” makes it easier for Bath Iron Works to work closely with the City of Bath and coordinate mutual aid responses for the benefit of all parties in emergencies.
“BIW is more than just a major employer in Maine. Its workers are our friends, families and neighbors. And ultimately, that’s what this bill is about — being a good neighbor,” said Sen. Vitelli. “When someone is in a position to help in a time of crisis, our laws ought to make way for them to do so. I’m grateful to Governor Mills for signing this important bill, which will benefit communities – and the largest employer – in my district.”
BIW responded to two separate local emergencies in the last two years.
In June 2022, two fires damaged Dike Newell Elementary School. Over 50 percent of the school building was deemed a total loss. The pre-K through second grade students and staff relocated to a current temporary site for this school year. BIW had specialized oxygen tanks which allowed its EMS personnel to go into the building when the City of Bath lacked such equipment. Without the tanks, responders would not have been able to enter the building without putting themselves at serious risk.
In July 2021, The Mary E, a historic schooner owned by the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, capsized on the Kennebec River Friday with 15 passengers and 3 crew members on board. A BIW vessel was the first to reach the site to start rescuing people.
Sen. Vitelli worked with the City of Bath and the area’s largest employer, Bath Iron Works, on this legislation. BIW has seven facilities in the Bath area and employs nearly 7,000 shipbuilders. Over the next five years, BIW plans to hire 600 to 800 additional employees each year. BIW is the fourth-largest private employer in Maine, and it employs Mainers from all 16 counties, including 1,903 residents of Sagadahoc County. Within Sagadahoc County, 605 shipbuilders live in Bath, 289 in Topsham, 206 in Richmond, 160 in Bowdoin and 119 in West Bath. As of 2021, BIW supports 300 Maine-based suppliers and accounts for 12 percent of Maine’s total manufacturing workforce.
LD 783 takes effects 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die.
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