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Who's Got Your Back? Are You SURE?
by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O. Firefighterclosecalls.com |
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VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS INJURED or KILLED..... Who's Got Your Back? Are You SURE? By now, you have probably read about the widow whose firefighter husband was killed at a dwelling fire last November in Massachusetts. The towns voters rejected a referendum to pay for the family's death benefits during the elections a few weeks ago, in November. Yeah-the community voted NO. Some in the town were quick to point out the widow already received assistance from various sources in the area of $400,000 and her children will receive free tuition at any state college or university. The referendum on whether to give Claire McNamara and her children a $650,000 pension w/health benefits fell short by 18 votes in Tuesday's election. There was still a shot that the proposal could still pass, because of 35 provisional ballots that had to still be counted. As the father of the fallen firefighter stated ''Our son lost his life serving a community, and a large number of people in our community voted not to give benefits to his wife and children,'' said Martin McNamara, the father of Firefighter McNamara. ''I'm disappointed.'' As you may remember, part-time firefighter Marty McNamara, was killed on Nov. 29 of last year in house fire in Lancaster. Towns with volunteer or on-call fire departments in Massachusetts are not required to pay death benefits to families of fallen firefighters. It's a local option. Residents had to approve the increase, as required anytime a town in Massachusetts wants to raise property taxes more than 2.5 percent because the proposed benefit would have required a one-year 7 percent property tax raise. The Lancaster Town elected officials agreed in March to put a question on the ballot: whether to raise taxes to pay for the family's benefits. Fair enough. But then, when the "townspeople" voted...the majority said no. Don't take it personal. There are a few issues that we as firefighters could discuss about this incident. The most obvious seems to be the fact that the town voters let the family down. Yeah-that sucks. It really sucks but that's an issue between the family, the fire department, the current firefighters and the people they serve. Should the firefighters be wondering if they are appreciated? Ya think??!! Should they think about their duty to respond vs. their duty to take care of their families if something does happen? Uh...yeah. But the "big picture" issue isn't just the one in Lancaster, and although we would do whatever we can to help that family. The real issue is anywhere BUT in Lancaster, Massachusetts because they now know they have a problem. They found out after a firefighter gave his life in the line of duty. The issue is at every firehouse in the USA. Primarily volunteer, call or part-time firefighters. It may include career firefighters but in most cases, career firefighters (and their representatives) are focused on making sure they have decent benefits in the event of injury or death. Non-career firefighters aren't always so focused-or taken care of. Although, after hearing this story, it probably wouldn't hurt career firefighters to check their coverages as well. And that's the gist of this commentary. West Virginia volunteer firefighters don't hesitate to respond when needed. You go the training's, the meetings, the details and all the other stuff you do and you probably assume that if something happened to you, you WOULD be taken care of from a benefits standpoint. If you lost your life, beside a State and the Federal PSOB LODD Death Benefits, you would ASSUME that you local fire company DOES have "some kind" of a plan to pick up...where you left off. You would think that "they" have your back... The tragic line of duty death of Firefighter Marty McNamara was a horrible enough blow for the family and the firefighters of the LFD. He did what hundreds of thousands of firefighters do every day: respond to "you name it" emergency calls for little or no pay. Proper protection as a firefighter is essential such as decent training, apparatus, bunker gear, leadership, an organizational "safety attitude" and related tools. Focusing on firefighter safety and survival, with "everyone coming home" through training and related tactical and command operational fire officers is the best way to minimize the "worry" of a firefighter getting injured or killed in the line of duty. Now, assume that you have all that covered at your FD and still, one of your firefighters-or you, gets hurt or killed. WHAT IS THE PLAN? WHO HAS YOUR "BACK" ? WHAT COVERAGE DO "THEY" HAVE FOR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY? Finding out that something you "expect to be there" is less than acceptable AFTER you need it, can be devastating. Anyone who has ever been under insured or who found out that their insurance expired can relate. And it's sad when your house floods or you car gets damaged. But it is not devastating. Devastating is when a FF is hurt or killed and the family, already traumatized finds out the "cupboard is bare." As firefighters, we do as much as we can do to help others without a whole lotta focus on "us." That's kinda what got this whole "fire department" thing started back when old Ben Franklin and those before him decided to create the service. Career, paid, part-paid, poorly paid, not often paid or unpaid volunteer firefighters--the fact is that firefighters are willing to do "whatever it takes" to help those who need out help. And rarely do we worry about ourselves. Sure, we seem to be getting more focused in this business of being a bit safer, a little more cautious and quite a bit more smart...and yeah-the changes are slow but they are happening. But we will still get hurt or killed. For just a few minutes, instead of worrying about your community as a firefighter-start worrying about yourself and your family-as a firefighter. Take a few minutes to, in writing, ask the questions that relate to the above to your fire company president. Simply put, find out what the plan is and what coverage's you have at your fire company, in the event that you are slightly injured, seriously injured, disabled or killed in the line of duty. Ask'm what their definition of "line of duty" is? Are there age requirements? Who is covered...who isn't? Ask lots of questions to the right "administrative" people at your fire department or company such as: · How long are you covered if you are disabled for a long period of time? · Is there any temporary or permanant disability plan? · Who pays your medical bills? · Do you have any "out of pocket" expenses? · How will you family be sustained from a cash flow/income standpoint if you can't go to your regular job? I am not talking about your medical issues-I am talking about your regular paycheck. .....Essentially, who picks up when you are down. And then there is the life insurance issue, sure-you may get X amount from your personal life insurance, but what about your local coverage from your FD? Does you FD provide anything? Do you have 24 hour coverage that protects you both while operating as a firefighter as well as your regular life? Maybe it's time for an overall personal review of your insurance coverage's. The big issue for today though is your "protection" and "coverage's" when you are functioning as a firefighter. Now is the time to ask the questions-while you are able to. Find out the answers now. Excellent insurance related coverage should not be looked at as some "extra" nice thing--these critical coverage's should be insisted upon so that when you give up your time-and possibly your life, you can be sure that someone DOES have your back. |
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About the author:
Chief Billy Goldfeder has been a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y. both in the mid-70’s. |