By Bill Carey
SA国际传媒
MONTGOMERY, Ala. 鈥� Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill on April 30 that awards hazardous duty time to EMTs and paramedics, recognizing their contributions to public safety and the risks they face, including serious injury or death.
amends section 36-27-59 of the Alabama Code, known as the Stretch Bill, extending benefits previously available only to police and firefighters, reported.
鈥淲hat this bill does is puts these emergency medical technicians in the same category as police and fire where for every five years they work, they get an extra year of retirement,鈥� Rep. Steve Clouse said.
鈥滱t the time when it was passed a few years back, people did not consider EMS part of it and I think it was overlooked accidentally. When we realized that, the mayor and the council here, passed a resolution to ask the state legislature to reconsider that,鈥� Ozark Public Safety Director Charles Ward said.
The bill will go into effect on October 1 for all certified EMS personnel employed with a governmental agency.