FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Firefighters, EMTs and law enforcement officers get a big thank you from their local governments, leading others to wonder if it could happen for them.
“We haven’t actually talked about hazard pay per se, but we have discussed, even prior to Kanawha County did, of how the county and the people in the county can show appreciation to the people that have been out on the forefront,” said Fayette County Commission President Denise Scalph.
Unfortunately, counties with a tighter budget have a hard time finding out where the money would come from.
“There’s been discussion on the state and federal level about funding that may be available,” said Scalph. “But of course, that has to be approved federally and through the state before it’s actually disseminated to the counties.”
That doesn’t mean first responders won’t get some form of a thank you, even if it isn’t in the form of a bonus check.
“I’ve talked to some other states and what they did was they compensated their first responders by purchasing their lunches every day for up to $15, and that is also helping the restaurants.”
It’s unclear if the commission will bring up the matter during it’s meeting on Friday.
