Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced that legislation he co-sponsored to expand disability benefits for volunteer firefighters diagnosed with cancers linked to their duties has now passed in the State Assembly A.711-B and will soon be delivered to the Governor.

The bill would help volunteer firefighters with their medical bills by providing a lump sum payment of either $6,250 or $25,000, depending on the severity of their diagnosis. It also creates a 36-month, $1,500 monthly benefit for firefighters who become disabled, and a $50,000 accidental death benefit for families. This represents a significant improvement over the current limit of $600 per month for disabled volunteer firefighters.

“Volunteer firefighters provide vital support to our families, responding to fires and accidents and saving lives,” Santabarbara said. “They’re pillars of our community who continuously risk their lives to keep us safe. They deserve the necessary benefits and protections, and this measure helps make sure that happens.”

Each year, volunteer firefighters save New York billions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on full-time fire departments, noted Santabarbara. Volunteer firefighters receive little compensation for their efforts and are not offered the health and disability protections afforded to full-time firefighters, despite being exposed to many carcinogens from smoke and chemicals released during fires. The legislation expands disability benefits to cover cancers that affect the digestive, hematological, lymphatic, urinary, prostate, neurological, breast and reproductive systems to help volunteer firefighters offset medical costs.

“The passage of this bill is great news for volunteer firefighters. I thank Assemblyman Santabarbara for his help to get it passed in the State Assembly," said Chief Kevin Morrison of the Delanson Volunteer Fire Department in Schenectady County. "It's challenging to be a volunteer firefighter these days, and if something tragic like cancer should show up in a firefighters life one day, knowing that there’s better coverage can help us get through difficult times."