Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-314a (2026)

Death, disability and injury benefits. Presumption

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f) of this section, active members of volunteer fire departments and active members of organizations certified as a volunteer ambulance service in accordance with section 19a-180 shall be construed to be employees of the municipality for the benefit of which volunteer fire services or such ambulance services are rendered while in training or engaged in volunteer fire duty or such ambulance service and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Workers' Compensation Commission and shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of chapter 568 for death, disability or injury incurred while in training for or engaged in volunteer fire duty or such ambulance service.

(b) For the purpose of this section, the average weekly wage of a volunteer fireman or volunteer ambulance service member shall be construed to be the average production wage in the state as determined by the Labor Commissioner under the provisions of section 31-309.

(c) For the purpose of this section, there shall be no prorating of compensation benefits because of other employment by a volunteer fireman or volunteer ambulance service provider.

(d) For the purpose of adjudication of claims for the payment of benefits under the provisions of chapter 568, any condition of impairment of health occurring to an active member of a volunteer fire department or organization certified as a volunteer ambulance service in accordance with section 19a-180 while such member is in training for or engaged in volunteer fire duty or such ambulance service, caused by hypertension or heart disease resulting in death or temporary or permanent total or partial disability, shall be presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty and within the scope of his employment, provided such member had previously successfully passed a physical examination by a licensed physician appointed by such department or ambulance service which examination failed to reveal any evidence of such condition.

(e) Any member of a volunteer fire company or department or organization certified as a volunteer ambulance service in accordance with section 19a-180 performing fire duties or such ambulance service pursuant to a mutual aid understanding between municipalities shall be entitled to all benefits pursuant to this section and shall be construed to be an employee of the municipality in which his fire company or department or such ambulance service is located.

(f) Any member of a volunteer fire company or department and any temporary emergency worker utilized under subsection (d) of section 23-37, who performs fire duties under the direction of the State Forest Fire Warden, state forest fire personnel or district or deputy fire warden under the supervision of the State Forest Fire Warden pursuant to section 23-37, shall be construed to be an employee of the state for the purpose of receiving compensation in accordance with the provisions of chapter 568 for death, disability or injury incurred while performing such fire duties under such direction.

(1967, P.A. 892, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 464, S. 1; P.A. 79-376, S. 10; P.A. 89-22, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-243, S. 1; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 84, 88; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-10, S. 4, 7; P.A. 19-37, S. 2.)

History: 1969 act deleted provision distinguishing state and municipal employees acting as volunteer firemen from others in Subsec. (a) and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) prohibiting prorating of compensation benefits and making provisions concerning hypertension and heart disease; P.A. 79-376 substituted “workers' compensation” for “workmen's compensation”; P.A. 89-22 added Subsec. (e) concerning liability for workers' compensation coverage for firemen injured while performing duties pursuant to a mutual aid agreement, amending Subsec. (a) to reflect its inclusion; P.A. 95-243 added Subsec. (f) to include members of a volunteer fire company or department and any person summoned by the State Forest Fire Warden who performs fire fighting duty under such authority as an employee of the state for workers'compensation purposes and amended Subsec. (a) to refer to said subsection; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 added volunteer and municipal ambulance service members as employees, effective July 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-10 deleted references to municipal ambulance service members as employees, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 19-37 amended Subsec. (f) by deleting provision re person summoned by State Forest Fire Warden or state forest fire personnel, adding reference to temporary emergency worker and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2019.

Workmen's compensation commissioners have jurisdiction over claims arising under statute; volunteer firemen injured on duty come within this section, not Sec. 31-310, although regularly employed in an industry. 159 C. 53. Section speaks to the conduct of towns. 209 C. 268. Cited. 220 C. 739; 223 C. 911; 224 C. 479.

Cited. 15 CA 84; 37 CA 835; 38 CA 754. Term “fire duties” does not encompass conduct of volunteer firefighter departing firehouse to tend to his personal affairs. 180 CA 717; judgment affirmed, see 332 C. 93.

Cited. 44 CS 230.

Subsec. (a):

Volunteer firefighter's participation in basketball program arranged by the volunteer fire department does not constitute training. 281 C. 600.

“In training for” means a person is being trained in fire duties, rather than in general physical fitness. 95 CA 52.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 23 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1970–2023 · leading case: Going v. Cromwell Fire Dist., 267 A.2d 428 (Conn. 1970).

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Going v. Cromwell Fire Dist., 267 A.2d 428 (Conn. 1970). · cites it 48× “*55 The following facts were found by the commissioner: The plaintiff, when he sustained accidental injuries on March 31, 1968, while in the performance of fire duties, was an "active member" of the Cromwell fire district "volunteer fire department," as the term is used in…”

Evanuska v. City of Danbury, 939 A.2d 1174 (Conn. 2008). · cites it 13× “” In light of, or despite, these facts, the commissioner determined that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that they sustained their injuries while performing “ ‘fire duties,’ ” as defined by § 7-314 (a), the necessary predicate for compensation under General Statutes § 7-314a…”

Hardt v. Town of Watertown, 895 A.2d 846 (Conn. App. Ct. 2006). · cites it 49× “The plaintiff, David Hardt, appeals from the decision of the workers' compensation review board (board) reversing the decision of the workers' compensation commissioner (commissioner) that his injury was compensable under General Statutes § 7-314a. [1] The plaintiff claims that…”

Fiano v. Old Saybrook Fire Co. No. 1, Inc., 209 A.3d 629 (Conn. 2019). · cites it 5× “2d 1174 (2008) (proof that injury was sustained during performance of "fire duties" within meaning of § 7-314 [a] is predicate to filing workers' compensation claim pursuant to General Statutes § 7-314a [a] ); Evanuska v.”

Hardt v. Town of Watertown, 917 A.2d 26 (Conn. 2007). · cites it 9× “The sole issue in this certified appeal is whether a volunteer firefighter injured while participating in an open gymnasium basketball program arranged by his volunteer fire department was engaged in “training” and is, therefore, entitled to workers’ compensation benefits…”

Fiano v. Old Saybrook Fire Co. No. 1, Inc., 184 A.3d 1218 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 9× “In this filing, the plaintiff reasserted that, pursuant to § 31-275, a firefighter is considered to be acting in the course of employment while travelling home and that the purpose of General Statutes § 7-314a is to ensure that the Workers' Compensation Act covers volunteer…”

Barton v. Clancy, 632 F.3d 9 (1st Cir. 2011). “at 21 (quoting Conn. Gen.Stat. § 7-314a). Therefore, after concluding that the termination of the firefighter was “state action” for purposes of a § 1983 claim, the court simply treated the firefighter as a public employee for purposes of the First Amendment claim.”

DERRANE v. City of Hartford, 988 A.2d 297 (Conn. 2010). · cites it 6× “to 1979)] § 7-314a 11 speaks to the conduct of towns.”

Evanuska v. City of Danbury, 912 A.2d 545 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007). · cites it 24× “The plaintiffs, volunteer firefighters Douglas Evanuska and Paul Williams, [1] appeal from the decision of the workers' compensation review board (board) affirming the decision of the workers' compensation commissioner (commissioner) that their injuries were not compensable…”

Mayfield v. Goshen Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., 22 A.3d 1251 (Conn. 2011). · cites it 3× “The legislature provided in General Statutes § 7-314a (a) that “active members of volunteer fire departments .”

Bergeson v. City of New London, 850 A.2d 184 (Conn. 2004). · cites it 2× “For example, General Statutes § 7-314a (d), which provides for heart and hypertension benefits for volunteer firefighters, provides in relevant part,: “For the purpose of adjudication of claims for the payment of benefits under the provisions of chapter 568, any condition of…”

Collins v. City of Milford, 543 A.2d 291 (Conn. App. Ct. 1988). · cites it 7× “This is an appeal by the defendants from the decision of the workers’ compensation review division sustaining the decision of the workers’ compensation commissioner finding that the injuries suffered by the plaintiff were compensable under General Statutes § 7-314a. 1 The sole…”

Show all 23 citing cases →

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-314a(a) — 1 case

Evanuska v. City of Danbury, 912 A.2d 545 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007). “The plaintiffs, volunteer firefighters Douglas Evanuska and Paul Williams, [1] appeal from the decision of the workers' compensation review board (board) affirming the decision of the workers' compensation commissioner (commissioner) that their injuries were not compensable…”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-314a(b) — 1 case

Wannagot v. City of Shelton, 662 A.2d 1345 (Conn. App. Ct. 1995).

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