(Des Moines, IA) — A bill under consideration in the Iowa Senate calls for a big increase in the state income tax credit for volunteer firefighters, E-M-Ts, and reserve law enforcement. The tax credit for volunteers who serve as firefighters, emergency medical personnel, or reserve police officers would increase from 100 dollars to one thousand.
Cyndi Peterson of the Iowa Firefighters Association says it’s more about catching up than it is a big increase. Peterson says there’s little — if any — type of reimbursement for the volunteers who respond to fires and medical emergencies in their communities, particularly in rural areas.
By one estimate, up to 20-thousand Iowans are currently serving as volunteer firefighters.
