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Vol. 70 No. 3
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
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Bill increases protections for firefighters lies expect benefits from certain insurance companies. “I think for the good that Gov. Kathy Hochul recently these people do in volunteering, signed a bill, co-sponsored by we should be in a situation to State Sen. John Brooks, that protect them with any medical will provide assistance to vol- service they need associated unteer firefighters who have with the fire service,” Brooks been injured in the told the Herald. “If, line of duty. unfortunately, they Brooks, who repwere to lose their resents the 8th Senl ive s o r n e e d e d ate District, which ongoing medical encompasses Wanttreatment, they agh and Seaford, coshould be protectsigned Bill S4562/ ed.” A6767 with AssemThe legislation, blywoman Carrie known as the Chief Woerner and Sen. James Brooks Jr. Daniel Stec. The Act, is named for a legislation creates a second assistant presumption of cov- BRYAN BRooKS fire chief who was era g e under the Chief, injured on the job. New York State VolJames Brooks, a unteer Firefighters’ Whitehall Volunteer member of the Benefit Law for vas- Fire Company upstate Whitehall cular ruptures sufVo l u n t e e r F i r e fered in the line of Company, suffered a duty, according to a news ruptured aorta while respondrelease. Further, it clarifies that ing to a structural fire in Dresthese injuries suffered on the den, in western New York, on job are covered in the same way May 2, 2020, according to a as heart attacks suffered in the news release, and died that Sepline of duty. tember, after serving the comBrooks said the bill would pany for 27 years. address issues of delay, denial “He was perfor ming an of claims and litigation costs incredible service to his comwhen volunteers or their famiContinued on page 13
By MARiA CEStERo mcestero@liherald.com
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Christina Daly/Herald
NASSAU CoUNtY ExECUtiVE Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order last week mandating school districts to vote this month on whether to require masks in classrooms.
Locals react to Blakeman’s executive order on masks By KAtE NAlEpiNSKi and CRiStiNA ARRoYo RoDRiGUEz knalepinski@liherald.com
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order last week that requires the Wantagh and Seaford school districts, and all other Nassau districts, to vote this month on whether to require masks in classrooms. School boards must vote “to determine whether or not parents and children should be granted the constitutional right to reject mask mandates
while in the classroom,” the executive order drafted by the county executive’s legal counsel stated. The order continued: “Given the historical data on Covid-19 and the ongoing debate over whether masks are more harmful than beneficial to children and to school environments in general, we should protect the freedoms and statutory rights of students and parents by resting with the parents the decision whether their children should wear masks in school.”
State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa said, however, that counties do not have the legal authority to require boards of education to vote on specific issues. “School officers take an oath to obey all legal requirements,” a statement from Rosa read. “The State Education Department expects school boards will follow all legal requirements, including the face-covering regulation.” Further, a department spokeswoman said that local Continued on page 15
irefighters protect lives and property under very strenuous conditions.