What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to civil service and pensions
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to disability retirement benefits for the presumption of post-traumatic stress disorder for certain titles in NYC
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Employees · Sponsor Peter Abbate
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to disability retirement benefits for the presumption of post-traumatic stress disorder for certain titles
Purpose
Provide for a 3A disability retirement for the presumption of PTSD.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill provides for a 3/4 disability retirement for the presumption of PTSD. Section 2 of the bill requires the act to take effect immediately.
Justification
Fire Alarm Dispatchers are exposed to an incredible amount of stress on a daily basis, simply by the nature of their job. While never physically present on the site of emergencies, they are on the receiving end of the first, frantic calls regarding them. The effects of such rigorous, high-intensity work are real, and the hardworking dispatchers who help keep New York City safe deserve to be compensated for them.
In a city as large as New York, Fire Alarm Dispatchers must deal with a constant stream of calls. The emergencies can range from the mundane incident, to fires, car accidents, and even horrific crimes. While they are highly skilled and trained to initiate first responder help, they are limited to doing only that. This often leaves them with gut-wrenching feelings of helplessness and desperation as they listen to the emergency play out, and wait for help to arrive. Fire Alarm Dispatchers often talk citizens through crises, and sometimes hear horrific outcomes.
A 2010-2011 study from the Department of Psychology at N. Illinois University revealed that public safety dispatchers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a higher percentage than the general population. The study, conducted by Heather Pierce and Michell Lilly, credited this higher percentage to "significant duty-related trauma exposure." The researchers found that dispatchers' separation from the actual crises may not buffer them from PTSD symptoms. Further, the feelings of fear, helplessness and horror were validated by the study's results.
Fire Alarm Dispatchers play a vital role in the safety of cities everywhere, and New York is no exception. They can face a lifetime of consequences for their service, and should be compensated for it. This bill would provide them such compensation.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
See the Bill.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.