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Bastard Stepchildren

After nine months of negotiations, the Connecticut Conference Of Municipalities, unions, and legislators announced they had come to agreement on legislation to make post-traumatic stress disorder a “compensable claim” under the Connecticut Worker’s Compensation program for police officers and firefighters. Emergency responders witness some terrible things that can easily lead to PTSD, such as “viewing a deceased minor” or “witnessing the death of a person,” the legislation says. In a statement, Cohanzie Waterford Fire Co. 5 decried a glaring omission in the legislation. “Connecticut’s Legislatures have left out the first responders who are most likely to be impacted by these traumatic events,” it said: “those working in Emergency Medical Services,” who are “most involved in these incidents,” yet they “are not included in this legislation.” Witnessing death? Medics “most commonly witnesses it, often with their hands on the victim trying to save them.” (RC/WVIT West Hartford) ...Legislators don’t care about medics... until they need to call 911 for a critically ill or injured family member.