Lamont signs law expanding Fallen Hero Fund to all first responders
The new law makes survivors of firefighters, paramedics and EMTs killed in the line of duty eligible for a $100,000 lump sum payment.
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Firefighters and other first responders now have some extra peace of mind.
Their families now qualify for the state’s Fallen Officer Fund – renamed the Fallen Hero Fund – thanks to a new law that Gov. Ned Lamont signed on Thursday afternoon.
The law passed unanimously in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Right now, the fund is only available to police officers. But starting next week, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ families will qualify, too.
The fund provides spouses, children or parents up to $100,000 in a lump sum payment. The new law also provides survivors with health insurance for up to five years.
“Our first responders, at considerable risk to themselves, every day go out and they have our backs,” Lamont said. “And this is one more way of saying we have your back and we also have the back of your family.”
When New Haven firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr. died in the line of duty, his funeral drew thousands who lined the streets to pay their respects.
Meantime, Torres’ family was left to pick up the pieces – emotionally and financially.
“Nobody goes to work thinking they’re not going to come home that day. But this bill provides some comfort,” said New Haven fire chief John Alston.
Currently, the Fallen Hero Fund has $800,000. That’s enough to help at least eight survivors.
