Section  8 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourteenth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Every person licensed to operate an emergency and firefighting equipment vehicle shall have a commercial driver’s license necessary to the preservation of life or property, or the execution of emergency governmental functions, unless federal guidelines expressly provide otherwise.  Such person shall include: (a)  a civilian mechanic operating emergency or fire fighting apparatus in the employ of a volunteer or paid fire organization; provided, that the civilian mechanic is subject to the direction and control of a fire department official regarding the means used to accomplish particular objectives; (b) a member of a volunteer or paid fire organizations, when responding to an emergency or otherwise performing official duties; (c) an agent of a state or local government operating such equipment in a search and rescue function or a part of disaster relief activities, provided the equipment is government owned or controlled; and (d) the operator of an antique fire engine.