Work, Pay & Leave Rights · Surprise rank #287
Police Officer or Firefighter Hurt on Duty? Keep Your Salary While You Recover
General Municipal Law 207-a / 207-c salary-continuation benefits
Who
Covered paid firefighters and specified police, sheriff, corrections, and other listed public-safety employees; the statutes have different coverage rules.
Where: New York State; coverage depends on the employing public entity and job title.
What to do
Start here: Report the injury promptly, notify the employing department or union, and ask for the agency's 207-a or 207-c claim process; seek labor or legal advice for a disputed claim.
Eligibility: The injury or illness must be work-related and the employee must fit the statute's covered local-government role; the municipality can require examinations and determine whether the person can return to regular or available light duty.
What you get
New York General Municipal Law sections 207-a and 207-c require covered local employers to continue regular salary or wages and provide medical and hospital care when a covered firefighter or police officer is injured or becomes ill in the performance of duty.
Benefit: Full regular pay while the qualifying disability continues, plus covered medical and hospital care.
Possible value: The benefit can be substantial, but it is a fact-specific statutory employment claim rather than a general workers' compensation payment.
Good to know
Important: The cited statutes do not cover every NY police officer or firefighter. Coverage, light-duty rules, pensions, and local procedures differ, including separate rules for New York City.
Availability: Current New York statutes.
Why people miss it: These protections are usually handled through a municipal employer and may be confused with ordinary workers' compensation.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026