Why is the Department of Justice being a Scrooge by withholding the benefits rightfully earned by survivors of fallen firefighters? How can we expect to recruit the best and brightest to a profession where at least 100 colleagues die each year?
Firefighters will continue to die as they do their job. But we offer them some comfort that their survivors will be assisted through a federal law known as the Public Safety Officer Benefits Act. I first learned of this outrageous “Scroogery” the day of the recent Congressional Fire Services Institute activities in Washington, D.C. I was shocked when an unassuming lady approached me and asked if I could offer her some advice about how she can obtain benefits owed her after the loss of her husband a firefighter who died in the line of duty. This was after the news conference announcing the Whistle Stop Tour of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Washington’s Engine 3. She told me her story of how the DOJ denied her and 38 others PSOB survivor benefits based on an interpretation of a “… phrase [in the law] to mean that claims should be denied if there is evidence of a non-duty–related medical factor.” The law says that the presumption of a line-of-duty death could be overturned “by competent medical evidence to the contrary”
The next day I searched the Web and discovered that in fact people had been denied benefits as reported on MSNBC.com. I asked this lady to contact me afterward so I could help.
In the mean time I am proud to say that the fire service leadership groups took action and are going right to President Bush for help. Our leaders sent the president a letter requesting his review and correction of the problem. When our efforts to make sure that “Everyone Goes Home” don’t work, we need to take care of our own by supporting their every need.
