The recently approved city budget includes $25 million towards a new trauma center in the Rockaways.

Officials and residents say the lack of a trauma center has been an issue in the Rockaways for years. Calls were renewed in March when NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway.

Residents of the Rockaways say the need for a trauma center is even greater in the summer months, with more New Yorkers hitting the beach and dealing with the heat.

Some of the voices leading the charge are Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, who represents Far Rockaway and several surrounding neighborhoods on the Council, and Dr. Mitchell Katz, the president and CEO of the city’s health and hospital system. They joined anchor Rocco Vertuccio on “Weekends on 1” Sunday morning.