Volunteers for Safe Skies Act
Key claim: The FAA would run a program letting qualified police officers, firefighters, and EMTs volunteer to provide emergency help on commercial flights during in-flight emergencies.
Abstract
(S1458 · 107th Congress) Volunteers for Safe Skies Act - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to carry out a program to permit qualified law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to provide emergency services on commercial air flights during emergencies. Latest action (2001-09-24): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Why this matters
In-flight emergencies on commercial aircraft depend on whatever trained personnel happen to be onboard, since crew medical and security training is limited. This 2001 proposal would have formalized a voluntary registry of off-duty first responders willing to assist, giving flight crews a known resource to call on. It never advanced, so current practice still relies on ad hoc ‘is there a doctor onboard’ appeals.