New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that when police officers and firefighters are in an official capacity, they may drive emergency vehicles without a Commercial Driver License (CDL).

Under the (previous) NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law, a CDL was required for operating heavy vehicles.

Police and fire vehicles were specifically excluded from this requirement until enactment of a 2005 law limited the exclusion to a vehicle’s use in emergency operations. This statute had numerous unforeseen negative consequences.

The previous statute created a snafu for non-emergency operations and events such as trainings, processions and daily inspections.

President of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York Thomas J. Cuff, Jr., said: “This law restores the ability of our dedicated volunteer firefighters to operate fire apparatus in both emergency and non-emergency situations – such as training and drill evolutions – and community events, including school visits and, of course, this weekend’s Memorial Day parades. Our members already receive many hours of safety and operational training before getting behind the wheel of these rigs, making the need for a CDL unnecessary…”