Obstructing Firefighters Giving Medical Aid Is Now A Crime In Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - A new state law makes it a crime to intentionally obstruct firefighters performing medical assistance.

The statute was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo late last month, according to a legislative tracker on the state senate's website. The law takes effect on Nov. 1, the website adds.

The law makes the offense a Class A misdemeanor, according to a copy of the text that is included with the tracker. It was enacted, according to legislative-justification text, in response to a "loophole" that was found in existing law that was meant to provide protections. An example named in the justification text was of a man in Rochester who attacked firefighters performing EMS duties. The man had to be convicted under a different statute, the text added.

Photo: A Patch file image of firefighters.