Dozens of firefighters, police officers and other first responders signed up for the "Wills For Heroes" event in downtown Saturday.
Lawyers at the event, held at the San Diego County Bar Association, offered free estate planning, including preparing wills, power of attorney and health care directives for first responders and their spouses.
The national event started after 9/11 as a way to thank first responders.
“When I started this job I never thought about retirement or a pension or a will by any stretch of the imagination but as you see day to day events happen it kind of hits home a little bit,” James Schoales, of the Huntington Beach Police Department, said. “As you get older and [towards the end of] your career you can see the end so it's important to protect your family and yourself."
Under the national "Wills for Heroes" Program, lawyers have prepared more than 10,000 free estate planning documents for first responders across the country.
The San Diego County Bar association puts on this event twice a year.
