Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB)
Families of Federal, state, and local fire and rescue personnel may be eligible for benefits under the Department of Justice's Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program.
Other Federal Benefits
» COBRA - A federal law known as COBRA guarantees that the employer of a public safety officer who dies in the line of duty must make the same type of health insurance available to the spouse and dependent children as was provided prior to the death. » Veterans' Administration Benefits - Survivors may be eligible for a lump sum payment of $300 for burial expenses, an allowance of $300 toward a burial plot, burial in a national cemetery, a government headstone or marker, and a burial flag.
» Victims of Crime Act Benefits - The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) supports state programs to provide compensation and assistance to victims of federal and state crimes. For firefighters, this would generally include deaths that involved arson, homicide, or other crimes.
» Social Security - Anyone who has worked and paid Social Security taxes has earned benefits for his or her family. The amount of work (quarters) needed to make survivors eligible depends upon the worker's age at death.
Firefighters Employed by Federal Goverment
Survivors of firefighters employed by a Federal Government agency or department may receive federal survivor benefits.
