VIDEO: A bill in the New York State legislature aims to help volunteer first responders out with their bills.
EMTs and firefighters often put themselves in dangerous situations to keep others safe.
“I love comforting people. I love being there for people, saving people. I feel like it's what I'm meant to do,” Emily Evans, volunteer firefighter & EMT, said.
Evans is a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Coxsackie. She's supporting new legislation that would provide state income tax exemptions to people like herself.
“I am volunteering at the moment but eventually I will be getting an EMT job and I really want to get all the experience I can to be a paramedic and just be the best I can be.”
In order to qualify volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers would need to have a year of service completed, finished all training courses required by New York State, have their county certification and been present for more than 55 percent of annual calls.