Hometown Heroes Act Revised to Help Ease Access for Firefighters to Critical Illness Care

(KNSI) — A bill authored by Rockville Senator Jeff Howe, and signed into law last year, now clarifies which firefighters with critical illness diagnoses are eligible for payments from the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program. A revision also transfers the responsibility for issuing grants to manage the program from the Office of Justice Programs to the State Fire Marshal.

In July, Governor Tim Walz signed the bill dedicating $4 million a year to make sure firefighters continue to have access to much-needed resources to protect their physical and mental health. The Hometown Heroes Assistance Program provides firefighters with free access to emotional trauma resources, up to $20,000 from critical illness insurance policies, and ongoing health and wellness training, including evidence-based suicide prevention strategies.

“Minnesota’s brave firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” said Governor Walz. “I was proud to sign a bill into law last year to help ensure Minnesota’s firefighters have the resources they need to protect their health and wellbeing as they make a difference in their communities. This bill shows that the work isn’t done and that our firefighters continue to be a top priority here at the Capitol.”

Senator Jeff Howe of Rockville and a firefighter himself, the Senate sponsor of the bill, called creating and passing the bill a considerable team effort and was honored to be part of that team. The help will go beyond his brother and sister firefighters.

“I don’t think there’s a firefighter anywhere that doesn’t know one of their colleagues that either had a heart problem, or a cancer issue. And this doesn’t just go for us firefighters. It also goes to our families, because our families are here, to deal with most of this.” He called the passage “huge,” adding, “I think it’s going to pay big dividends in the future, not only for those of us currently in the fire service, but those of us that will come behind us.”

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