My husband, Mike, has served as a Kingston Police Officer for 12 years and was with the NYPD during the 9/11 terrorist attack and its aftermath. I understand firsthand the sacrifices of those who devote their lives to protecting our communities. As a former personal trainer, I helped prepare many local firefighters for duty. First responders consistently put themselves at risk to save lives and keep us safe, and it is our duty to support their work.

For me, that means advocating on Beacon Hill for high-quality training and better healthcare for first responders. Police officers and firefighters face immediate risks every day, and they often deal with long-term health problems because of their work. I applaud Governor Baker and the Legislature for the recent law designating cancer as a work-related injury. This means that first responders, particularly firefighters, will receive coverage for the care they need.

Properly covering work-related injuries is the least we can do. By allocating more funding to healthcare and training, we can make sure that first responders receive the support they deserve both on and off the job. As challenges to public health and public safety mount, properly training and funding our emergency services departments is one of the most important steps we can take to protect our community.

By embracing this approach to public safety, we can ensure that those who serve our communities have our support. I will advocate for them because I know that protecting our first responders is key to protecting everyone in our community.