That's according to lawyers who came to the Moriarty Civic Center from across the state Saturday, to give county first responders the opportunity to create wills free of charge.

Wills for Heroes, is a public service program, offering free wills, power of attorney and a health care directives for first responders and their spouses or domestic partners.

This was the first time the program, of the State Bar of New Mexico, Young Lawyers Division, came to Torrance County, according to Assistant District Attorney Matt Page

Wills for Heroes was first held in New Mexico at the State Fair in Albuquerque last year, Page said. Since then, there have been others in Albuquerque, Farmington and Roswell.

Eleven attorneys came to help draft the documents at the Civic Center, with many coming from Albuquerque and Santa Fe. First responders from across Torrance County were invited including fire departments, police departments and paramedics. The service is free, which is a potential saving of about $600, Page said, which is the average cost of drafting and notarizing the documents for a person and their spouse.

"When they walk away, they will be legally active documents," Page said. "It's a one-stop shop."

Santa Fe lawyer Kate Fitz Gibbon said making these documents legal is crucial, because New Mexico has very strict rules about wills. Wills that are drafted by the individual themselves aren't legal unless they are taken through a very specific process.

"If you die without a legal will, then the intestacy laws of New Mexico determine who gets your assets," Gibbon said. "The laws are fair, but it doesn't allow any personal choice. Often people write wills by hand, but those are not valid in this state."

Moriarty Police Officer Susan Encinias had the documents prepared at the event, something she had put off for a while, she said.

"I did this mainly because I don't want to be kept alive on machines if something happens to me," Encinias said. "Being a police officer, I don't want my family to have to make those decisions for me."

Encinias was a bit disappointed more first responders didn't take advantage of the program. Only a few came on Saturday.

"I really wish more would have come," Enicnias said. "I think a lot of the times they're scared, because it makes the reality of dying while doing our jobs more real, and it doesn't."

Page, who sits on the board of directors for the Young Lawyers Division, said the program is important because these first responders put their lives on the line every day.

"I worked with Sgt. Dominique Smith, and I don't know if he had estate planning documents," he said. "Then the tragedy at ALCO (last) Wednesday... these are reminders first responders can be put in harms way at a moments notice."

The goal is to have these, and other events like the Junior Judges program to happen all across the state on a regular basis. Page said the Wills for Heroes will be coming back to Torrance County in the future.

"This is a way for us to honor them for keeping us safe in our day to day lives," Page said. "It's the main reason for us doing it."