NEWBURGH – State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall), Thursday, announced expanded disability benefits for State Division of Military and Naval Affairs firefighters statewide.
Skoufis said for too long, firefighters and training/safety officers employed by the DMNA have been denied adequate disability benefits when they’ve fallen ill as a result of their duties.
This law increases their disability pensions from one-third of final average salary (FAS) to 50 percent of 75 percent of FAS, and helps individuals to establish the presumption that disabilities were incurred while discharging their duties. This law creates disability benefits parity with every other professional firefighter in the state, the senator said.
“There’s no better way to honor the sacrifices of emergency personnel in our community than to make sure we answer the call when they’re in need,” said Skoufis, who sponsored the legislation. “For many of these firefighters, their duties extend beyond the airport or the base to supply mutual aid to area fire companies, which is just one of many reasons why making sure they have comparable disability protections is a no-brainer. “
“This legislation ensures that our small group of firefighters will receive the same disability benefits as our brothers and sisters from other departments across the state,” said CSEA Hudson Valley DMNA Employees Local President Jason Bartley.
