Legislator Harriet Cornell Introduces Legislation Establishing A Community College Tuition Assistance Program For Emergency Services Volunteers 

New City, NY (August 28, 2003) – Legislator Harriet Cornell has introduced legislation to establish a Community College Tuition Assistance Program for volunteer firefighters and other emergency services volunteers as a recruitment incentive. 

Volunteer firefighters, ambulance workers and other emergency services volunteers contribute enormously to the public safety, health, and general well being of the residents of their communities at great personal sacrifice and cost to themselves.  

Legislator Cornell stated, “We in Rockland rely on volunteer emergency services workers to provide a critical function in our community.  We cannot afford to lose our volunteers because of Rockland’s high cost of living.  College tuition assistance would provide another incentive to keep volunteers serving our communities and would encourage more volunteers as well.” 

The Rockland County Office of Fire and Emergency Services would administer this RCC Tuition Program for volunteer recruitment through a scholarship fund meeting established criteria. For example, a candidate would need to be sponsored by an eligible Rockland County volunteer fire company, ambulance corps or emergency service squad and also meet admission requirements of Rockland Community College.  Service obligations and educational criteria are rigorously required and monitored. 

Frank Hutton, Vice-Chairman of the Committee to Promote Volunteerism in Rockland County Emergency Services, stated, “Legislator Cornell is working on giving an incentive to our younger adults with this scholarship fund for attending RCC.  This is important because we need to keep the amount of volunteers at the highest possible level.  An independent consulting firm said it would cost 100 million dollars for fire services and 30 million dollars for EMS services.  At this moment the volunteer services are saving Rockland County 130 million dollars a year in taxes.” 

This legislation has passed the Legislature’s Multi-Services Committee and will be sent to the full Legislature.