Local
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The Worcester City Council has proposed expanding law to allow families to receive an officer’s full pension if they drown while trying to save a life on duty.
Worcester suggested the new clause Tuesday after Officer Enmanuel Familia drowned trying to save a 14-year-old boy, who also drowned, in a pond in Worcester on June 4, the Telegram & Gazette reported.
The City Council has to approve the order for it to fully cover the Familia family, the newspaper reported.
Councilor Morris Bergman, the sponsor of the clause, said it was a message of support to the family and first responders.
At the state level, the legislature is striving to implement similar steps to support families of first responders. A lawmaker in Cape Cod filed a related proposal.
Councilor Kathleen Toomey said she spoke with Sen. Michael Moore, and he told her the Senate has already implemented the same clause in the past.
Worcester also wants to include an order to provide extra safety at the city’s bodies of water.