Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives all of state's first responders $1,000 bonuses: We're funding the police — and then some

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has announced that first responders across the state will receive a one-time $1,000 bonus.

At the time of this reporting, there are approximately 174,000 first responders across the entire state of Florida, including police officers, paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and more.

What are the details?

In a news release from the governor's office, DeSantis said, “Supporting our law enforcement and first responders has been a top priority for my administration, and it has never been more important than over the last year. As a state, we are grateful for their continued service to our communities."

He continued, “This one-time bonus is a small token of appreciation, but we can never go far enough to express our gratitude for their selflessness."

Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis lauded the governor's generous gesture and said that the state's first responders have "performed with honor and distinction" during the pandemic.

"When the Coronavirus came to Florida, our first responders worked overtime to protect our communities and get people the care they so desperately needed," he said. “I say all the time that these men and women work 24/7, 365 days a year to protect our communities — and they performed with honor and distinction during this global pandemic. The bonus checks that Governor DeSantis proposed, and secured from the Legislature, means a lot to these first responders and their families who had to live through this crisis. With his hard work, the Governor has made it very clear that Florida loves and appreciates our first responders, which means a lot to these heroes."

In a Wednesday tweet, DeSantis wrote, "Some want to defund the police. In Florida, we're funding them & then some by providing all of our heroes $1,000 bonuses. This represents more than 174,000 first responders across the state!"