Gov. DeWine Signs Bill Providing Resources To First Responders With PTSI
Last week, the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters joined Gov. Mike DeWine as he signed House Bill (HB) 184, the bi-partisan bill which allocates $40M to support first responders battling Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI). The legislation represents a critical advancement in ensuring that firefighters, police officers, EMTs and dispatchers can access PTSI benefits without being required to demonstrate a physical injury once the general assembly passes legislation to accept claims and distribute the funds.
Rep. Sean Brennan emphasized that this legislation has deep personal meaning for him, both because of his father-in-law’s service as a firefighter, and because of the tragic loss of Officer Kandice Straub of the Parma Police Department. Officer Straub joined the department in December 2019 and made history as its first female SWAT team member.
“The loss of Kandice Straub broke hearts across our state - and it galvanized all of us to act,” said Rep. Brennan after the passage of the bill. “Too many first responders suffer in silence, too many families grieve alone.”
The $40M included in HB 184 will provide the base for treatment and support for PTSI sustained in the line of duty once the General Assembly acts to create a plan go directly toward treatment, claims processing, and other support for PTSI sustained in the line of duty — we must remove the barrier of proving a physical injury and recognize the psychological injuries that result from service.