In a move critics are calling "horrendous" because it would hurt the neediest of firefighters, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's administration is looking to divert $33 million away from a fund that pays for the burials of fallen firefighters and helps others with medical bills.
New Jersey Advance Media reports that Gov. Murphy's under-the-radar move is being made to secure funds to spend on his own agenda and means that no new money would come into the fund this year.
The fund, which is available to active and retired career and volunteer firefighters, helps pay for the burials of fallen firefighters, offers financial aid to first responders hit with medical bills, and provides in-home health care for those who are aging and suffering from physical ailments.
“These dollars collected from out of state insurance companies are a safety net to help firefighters in their greatest time of hardship, and should never be used to fill a budget hole,” said Ed Donnelly, president of the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association.
“In neighborhoods all across New Jersey, and the nation, firefighters are increasingly being treated for cancer, PTSD, and other illnesses caused by the work we do. These are the men and women that need and deserve this fund. This is our insurance policy. It’s there for a specific reason, to take care of the men and woman who take care of NJ residents and visitors,” he said.
A one-sentence proposal in the governor's 2020 budget plan recommends taking the money currently dedicated to the New Jersey State Firemen’s Association and transferring it into the general fund so it can be spent in any way the state sees fit.
Jennifer Sciortino, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Treasury, said the fund will still have plenty of money and that the $33 million will help the state “meet our many obligations, which includes funding the firefighters’ pension system.”
“The healthy reserves maintained in the Firefighter’s Fund will enable them to continue supporting their critical mission,” Sciortino said.
There are about 38,000 active firefighters in New Jersey.
