A new law that provides stronger protections to firefighters, police, EMTs and other first responders officially went into effect on Oct. 31, but what new protections does it provide?
The law, a new provision from Act 121 of 2024, will work to provide protections and care for first responders who are diagnosed with a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). The legislation, which was signed into law in 2024, removes requirements for claimants and better aligns state law with the realities of trauma exposure in emergency service professions.
Previously, first responders were required to prove โobjective abnormal working conditionsโ for a PTSI claim.
The law also now permits diagnoses of PTSI from either a single traumatic event or cumulative exposure to severe stressors in the line of duty.
