A new Florida law is set to go into effect on Jan. 1 that intends to keep first responders and the public safe.
Every day, over 4 million first responders stand ready to answer the call of duty.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Chris Naff, Public Information Officer with St. Johns County Fire Rescue said. “Some of those scenes are unpredictable.”
And each day they face a wide range of challenges.
But occasionally, it’s bystanders that get in the way and make it harder for them to work.
“We control the scene but there was no enforcement to it,” Naff said. “There was no law that actually said ‘hey you have to stay this certain amount of feet back.’”
He said the new law coming on Jan. 1 will help them stay focused on their job while keeping you safe.
It’s what he calls the “Halo Law” or Senate Bill 184.
It creates a 25-foot barrier between first responders and the public.
Anyone who comes within that barrier will get a warning.
And if they don’t leave, they could face criminal consequences.
“It’s very important,” Naff said. “It creates that barrier of safety and everybody knows OK this is what happens. It’s kind of like when you go above the speed limit. You’re going 55 and a 40 you know there’s a chance to be pulled over. It’s kind of the same kind of analogy with that to me.
The bill also includes “threatening” or “harassing” first responders as part of breaking the law.
However, this initiative did face some pushback throughout the process.
Some First Amendment advocates questioned whether it would get in the way of people filming interactions with law enforcement.
Naff said people can still film, but they want to make sure it’s done safely.
“And it’s still within 25 feet still,” he said. “So you still are able. It doesn’t go against your First Amendment rights to video and that kind of stuff. So that was one of the big concerns is we’re pushing people back. From our side, from fire rescue side it’s more of a safety thing.”
That bill passed through the state senate back in March 39-1.
Anyone who doesn’t follow it could face a second-degree misdemeanor.
If found guilty, according to Florida law, that person could face up to 60 days behind bars and a $500 fine.
The bill specifies that those protections apply to all first responders including law enforcement officers, correctional probation officers, firefighters, and emergency medical care providers.