Apr. 5, 2023 By Bill Parry
Several hundred members of the FDNY and leaders of the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) traveled to Albany recently to rally with Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, who urged her fellow legislators to support and pass her bill, A.5055.
The legislation aims to correct a portion of the Tier III for members of the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund for those who previously served as an EMT with the FDNY in order to receive Fire Department Pension service credit and have it apply to their pension.
“I introduced this bill to stand up for our city’s bravest, the men and women who respond to fire and emergencies to ensure they get parity and the respect they deserve,” Pheffer Amato said. “Our first responders deserve equity and fairness in their pension. The time is now to do the right things and get this done.”
The measure is being carried in the upper chamber by Brooklyn Senator Andrew Gounardes. Currently, the law doesn’t allow service credit to be applied to their pension.
“This bill is common sense — our time is worthy of being counted and respected towards a full pension,” Uniformed Firefighters Association Vice President Robert Eustace said. “We’re glad to have the assemblywoman as a partner, a true champion for this bill [who is] actively working to get this over the finish line. We are looking for equity, for fairness, like all first responders deserve — nothing more. Let’s get it done.”
The measure would also apply to members of the NYPD who previously served as an EMT in the FDNY.