A PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER INJURED WHILE TRAINING TO COMPLETE A FIRE BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM WAS INJURED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES, ENTITLING HIM TO GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW 207-A DISBILITY BENEFITS (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice McShan, determined Supreme Court properly found petitioner, a probationary firefighter, was entitled to disability benefits pursuant to General Municipal Law 207-a. The fact that petitioner was injured while training for a test required for the completion of a fire basic training program did not mean petitioner was not injured in the performance of his duties, as argued by the city:

Although petitioner’s injury did not occur in the course of his actual performance of the required test, successful completion of the candidate physical ability test was a necessary requirement of petitioner’s position, and petitioner was engaged in the expected and foreseeable task of practicing for that test during a mandatory training program that was part of his duties as a probationary firefighter … . The record further reflects that petitioner was attending the Fire Academy at the direction of the City, that the training was paid for by the City and that petitioner was receiving full pay for his attendance and participation in the program. Mindful that, as a remedial statute, General Municipal Law § 207-a “should be liberally construed in favor of the injured employees the statute was designed to protect” … , we find that the requisite causal relationship exists between petitioner’s job duties and his injury … . Matter of Smith v City of Norwich, 2022 NY Slip Op 02324, Third Dept 4-7-22

Practice Point: A probationary firefighter injured while training to complete a fire basic training program was injured in the “performance of his duties” and is therefore entitled to General Municipal Law 207-a disability benefits.