Nassau County lawmakers want to permanently fund — and expand — a tuition assistance program that allows volunteer first responders to obtain community college for free.
On Monday, Legislator Steve Rhoads, who is a 27-year veteran of the Wantagh Volunteer Fire Department, joined Richard Nicolello, the legislature's presiding officer, other members of the majority caucus and volunteer first responders to announce a newly proposed bill that would permanently fund tuition assistance for volunteer first responders at Nassau Community College.
The program, often called the SAFER grant, helps volunteer first responders attend the college for free and continue their education. More than 180 volunteer firefighters enrolled in the program in the fall of 2019, and 170 have enrolled this year.