1. Whenever a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic employed by a municipality, county or fire district of this State or the State participates in a national, multi-state, State, county, municipal or regional search and rescue task force or team, and that law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic suffers injury or death as a result of his participation in such search and rescue task force or team, he or his designee or legal representative shall be entitled to the salary, pension rights, worker’s compensation, or other benefits as would have accrued if the injury or death had occurred in the performance of duties in the territorial jurisdiction in which he is employed.

As used in this section, “participate” and “participation” shall include taking part in meetings, training sessions, emergency drills, fire control, debris removal, emergency responses and such other similar activities of a search and rescue task force or team whether as an employment duty of the territorial jurisdiction of employment or as a volunteer, and shall include travel to and from such activities.

In addition, such officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic shall have the same powers, authority and immunities as law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, as the case may be, in the municipality in which the assistance is being rendered.

A law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic employed by a municipality, county or fire district of this State or the State who participated in a search and rescue task force or team in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 without the authorization of the municipality, county or fire district or the State and who suffered injury or death as a result of participation in that search and rescue task force or team shall be deemed an employee of this State for the purpose of payment of workers’ compensation benefits as would have accrued if the injury or death had occurred in the performance of duties in the territorial jurisdiction in which he is employed.

Whenever a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic employed by a municipality, county or fire district of this State or the State participates in a national, multi-state, State, county, municipal or regional search and rescue task force or team without the authorization of the municipality, county or fire district or the State but pursuant to a Declaration of Emergency by the Governor of the State of New Jersey specifically authorizing volunteers to respond immediately to the emergency without requiring the authorization of the municipality, county or fire district or the State, and the law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic suffers injury or death as a result of participation in the search and rescue task force or team, he shall be deemed an employee of this State for the purpose of payment of workers’ compensation benefits as would have accrued if the injury or death had occurred in the performance of duties in the territorial jurisdiction in which he is employed.

L.1999, c.251,s.1; amended 2001, c.325, s.2.