Rockland County Legislatures Vote For Volunteer Benefit Act

By Idy Perl

Yesterday, Rockland County legislature voted to create a historical new law.

Called the Rockland County Volunteer Benefit Act, this program will protect the families of emergency service volunteers, such as firefighters and EMS. The new law grants the dependents of a volunteer who dies in the line of duty with up to $1 million in grants.

Rockland County Legislator Paul C. Cleary first introduced the bill after seeing Go Fund Me campaigns for the families of volunteers who passed.

“I was just flabbergasted and then appalled to see that the families of these volunteers, who give so much to our communities, were struggling to pay their mortgage or rent, or even to put food on their table because their breadwinner had died while in service to the community,” Legislator Cleary said. “Helping out these families as they struggle to rebuild their lives is the least that we can do."

We hope to never have to hear of this law being used.