Hochul signs bill increasing tax credits for volunteer firefighters

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law Saturday morning a bill that quadruples tax credits for volunteer first responders.

The bill, passed unanimously by the State Senate and Assembly earlier this year, raises the annual tax credit for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers from $200 to $800. The benefit for married joint filers rose from $400 to $1,600.

The signing delivered a legislative win for fire officials who say greater incentives are needed to stave off significant declines in the ranks of volunteer firefighters. The statewide force has declined one-third from 120,000 in the early 2000s to around 80,000, fire officials have said. While the decrease has stabilized in recent years, advocates said more has to be done to recruit young volunteers.

"The issue is trying to get the next generation because families are busy and more people are working and the struggles are great," Hochul said at the bill signing at the Hempstead Fire Department headquarters on Clinton Street, where she was joined by elected officials and volunteer firefighters. "I want you to know how much we recognize that and want to do what we can to recruit people into the firefighter service."

Hochul’s signing of the bill comes a little more than two weeks from the gubernatorial election, where she will face off against her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. The two squared off recently in the contest's only debate.

A spokesman for Blakeman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hochul also presented the Hempstead Fire Department with a $1 million grant for new radio equipment that will replace decades-old technology.

Patrick Carney, chief of the department, said in an interview his firefighters are relying on "terribly outdated" radios and that the funding will help ensure the department can maintain communication when fighting blazes.

"It's the most important thing," Carney said.

Volunteer fire and elected officials said the tax-credit legislation will help retain firefighters and EMS members in departments on Long Island.

Donald Farrell, president of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, called the bill a "tremendous victory for New York's volunteer fire and EMS service" at the press conference Saturday. 

Other recent bills aimed at improving volunteer recruitment and retention include legislation signed last year phasing out PFAS forever chemicals in firefighter protective equipment and extending the ability of fire department-run ambulances to recover costs of service from insurance companies through 2031.

State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), a sponsor of the bill, has pushed for better benefits for volunteer first responders. She said the passage of the legislation, which took years of effort, offers "one step" in a longer plan to improve conditions for firefighters and EMS workers.

"I know there's more work to be done," Martinez said.

Improving incentives for volunteer first responders is needed to ensure there are enough people to respond to calls across the state, said Billy Theis, chairman of the Nassau and Suffolk Fire Districts Legislative Committee. A 2023 FASNY analysis found a statewide paid firefighter service would cost $4.7 billion annually, triggering significant property tax increases.

"When we get the call, somebody's in trouble," Theis said before the bill signing. "We have to have the tools, we have to have the people to be there."

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ

Joseph Ostapiuk covers the Town of Oyster Bay and the city of Glen Cove. He joined Newsday in 2023 after spending more than six years at the Staten Island Advance.