First Responders To Get Help With PTSD

DENVER (CBS4)- A new law will help first responders in Colorado get help with post traumatic stress disorder.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the bill into law that will help first responders qualify for worker's compensation for PTSD.

In the past, if PTSD was caused by something within the normal scope of a job, it wasn't covered.

Rep. Jonathan Singer, a Democrat representing Boulder County, says the new law will "protect our protectors."

"This bill will start a national model to ensure that, regardless of your job, you have the right to apply for workers compensation when you've got any kind of injury on the job. You let the experts figure out the best course of treatment," said Singer.

It's estimated that more than 1,200 first responders in Colorado suffer from PTSD.