New Laws Add Mental Health Protections For CA Firefighters

SACRAMENTO, CA — Firefighters and first responders will gain access to mental health support programs and become eligible for workers' compensation based on post-traumatic stress, under three bills signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“The job of firefighters and first responders can be very rewarding, but at the same time, extremely unpredictable," Newsom said in a press release. “These bills are meant to ensure they have access to resources and help in their time of need, in the same way they assist their communities when they need them most.”

One of the three laws, called the California Firefighter Peer Support and Crisis Referral Services Act, aims to set up a statewide network of peer support programs to help first responders with professional or emotional issues.

“In 2017 when our state experienced some of the deadliest wildfires in its history, more California firefighters died by suicide than in the line of duty," said Assemblymember Tim Grayson, who authored the law. "Today we offer a life-line to these brave women and men who might otherwise suffer in silence."

First responders will become eligible for workers' compensation under the Trauma Treatment Act, written by State Sen. Henry Stern.

"Today, California is making clear that post-traumatic stress is not a disorder to be stigmatized. These injuries can be healed," Stern said in the release.

The third bill signed by Gov. Newsom on Tuesday largely prohibits public agencies from outsourcing their emergency dispatch services to private, for-profit companies. The law's author, Sen. Robert Hertzberg, said the act will ensure that emergency response remains a public service, free of any profit motives.