Updated July 2021 (COVID-19 related benefits updated April 2021)
COVID-19 BENEFITS
COVID-19-related first responder deaths are considered line-of-duty deaths under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. Legislation passed in August 2020 established a statutory presumption for first responders who die from, or are disabled by complications related to, COVID-19. Prior to August, suspected cases were required to have proof that exposure occurred during their work duties.
(Legislation: S.3607 – Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020)
Contact:
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program
Phone: (888) 744-6513
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: bja.ojp.gov/program/psob
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide up to $9,000 per funeral and up to $35,500 per applicant to help with expenses related to coronavirus deaths that occurred after January 20, 2020.
Contact:
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Information
(Applications accepted starting April 12, 2021)
Phone: (844) 684-6333
TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm CST
Website: www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance#eligible
UTAH has a workers’ compensation for death or disability of firefighters from occupational diseases.
State Of Utah Workers’ Compensation Covid-19 Quick Guide
Contact:
Utah Labor Commission
Industrial Accidents Division
160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-6610
Phone: (801) 530-6800
Fax: (801) 530-6804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: laborcommission.utah.gov
ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFITS
Contact: Retirement Benefits Department Utah Retirement Systems Salt Lake City Office 560 East 200 South, Suite 240 Salt Lake City, UT 84102-2021 Phone: (801) 366-7700 (Salt Lake City) Fax: (801) 366-7733 Website: www.urs.org
Reference: Utah Code Sections 49-16-501, 49-16-502, 49-16-701, 49-20-406
COMPENSATION FOR DEATH OR DISABILITY OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Burial Expenses shall be paid by the employer or their insurance carrier up to $9,000. Unusual cases may result in additional payments either voluntarily by the employer or their carrier or by Commission order.
Contact:
Utah Labor Commission
Industrial Accidents Division
160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-6610
Phone: (801) 530-6800
Website: laborcommission.utah.gov
(Reference: Utah Code Sections 34A-2-418, U.C.A. Rule R612-200-6)
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Weekly compensation paid to the dependents is 66-2/3% of the firefighter’s average gross weekly wage on the date of the accident causing death or when the occupational disease began, plus an additional $20 per week for a dependent spouse and each dependent minor child up to 4 children. This payment is limited up to a maximum of 85% of the state’s average weekly wage. For 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, the state average weekly wage is $879, making the maximum payment for this time period $747.
The dependents shall receive this benefit for a period of 312 weeks (6 years). If the spouse remarries, they will receive 52 weeks of this compensation in a lump sum, or the remaining balance of the award, whichever is less.
A spouse is presumed to be a dependent, as are any minor children, or mentally or physically incapacitated children. Other family members may be considered dependents based on the particular facts. All dependents split this benefit equally.
Contact:
Utah Labor Commission
Industrial Accidents Division
160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-6610
Phone: (801) 530-6800
Website: laborcommission.utah.gov
Reference: 34A-2-414, 34A-2-702
FUNERAL BENEFIT
Burial Expenses shall be paid by the employer or their insurance carrier up to $9,000. Unusual cases may result in additional payments either voluntarily by the employer or their carrier or by Commission order.
Contact:
Utah Labor Commission
Industrial Accidents Division
160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-6610
Phone: (801) 530-6800
Website: laborcommission.utah.gov
(Reference: Utah Code Sections 34A-2-418, U.C.A. Rule R612-200-6)
RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN
Career Firefighters
There are multiple plans and tiers for retirement benefits for firefighters. The most common are outlined below.
Firefighters who were employed full time prior to 1 July 2011 are eligible to be Tier 1 members of the Firefighters’ Retirement System. Spouses of Tier 1 members with less than 20 years service receive a monthly benefit of 30% of the final average monthly salary. If the firefighter did not have on-the-job Social Security coverage, this is increased to 37.5%, plus $75 per dependent child if the firefighter had more than 5 (but still less than 20) years of service. For firefighters with more than 20 years service, the spouse shall receive 75% of the retirement benefit the firefighter would have received if they had retired on the date of their death. This is calculated as 50% of the firefighter’s salary, averaged over their 3 highest paid years, plus an additional 2% per every year of service over 20 years.
Firefighters who were employed full time on or after 1 July 2011 are eligible to be members of the New Public Safety and Firefighter Tier II Contributory Retirement System. Spouses of firefighters who have less than 20 years service receive a monthly benefit of 30% of the final average monthly salary. For more than 20 years of service, the benefit is 1.5% of the firefighter’s salary, averaged over their 5 highest paid years, per every year of service.
Other firefighters may be covered under the Public Employees Contributory or Noncontributory Retirement System.
Call/Volunteer Firefighters
Volunteer firefighters are eligible for the benefits listed above, based on their start date as a volunteer firefighter. For a volunteer firefighter, the lowest monthly compensation of firefighters of a city of the first class in the state at the time of death shall be considered to be their final average monthly salary.
Contact:
Retirement Benefits Department
Utah Retirement Systems
Salt Lake City Office
560 East 200 South, Suite 240
Salt Lake City, UT 84102-2021
Phone: (801) 366-7700 (Salt Lake City)
Fax: (801) 366-7733
Website: www.urs.org/Members
Reference: Utah Code Sections 49-16-501, 49-16-502, 49-23-503
EDUCATION BENEFIT - CHILDREN
Any state institution of higher education shall waive tuition for each child of a Utah firefighter who has been killed in the line of duty for any courses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirements of the program in which the child is enrolled. The child cannot have previously obtained a bachelor’s degree. This benefit is available for 9 semesters or 124 semester credits (or their equivalents), whichever comes first.
The child must be under the age of 25 when first applying for this benefit.
Contact:
Utah System of Higher Education
Office of the Commissioner
Board of Regents Building
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
Phone: (801) 646-4783
Website: www.ushe.edu
Reference: Utah Code Sections 53B-8c-103
EDUCATION BENEFIT - SPOUSE
Spouses are eligible for the same benefit as above, with the age restriction removed.
Contact:
Utah System of Higher Education
Office of the Commissioner
Board of Regents Building
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
Phone: (801) 646-4783
Website: www.ushe.edu
Reference: Utah Code Sections 53B-8c-103
NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
Kids’ Chance of Utah
10421 S Jordan Gateway Blvd., Suite 400
S Jordan, UT 84095
Phone: (801) 889-1307
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.kidschanceut.org
Provides scholarship assistance to children of LODD firefighters who are pursuing higher education.
Utah State Firefighters’ Association
Attn: Gina Bell, Secretary
PO Box 26731
Salt Lake City, UT 84126
Phone: (801) 580-2336
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fireassociation.com
Members of the USFA are eligible for a $500 death benefit.
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
P.O. Box 498
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: (301) 4471-1365
FAX: (301) 4471-1645
Website: www.firehero.org
The Sarbanes Scholarship Program
Spouses, life partners, children, and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial are eligible to apply for the NFFF Sarbanes Scholarship Program along with other partner programs. The NFFF Sarbanes Scholarships are awarded for undergraduate and graduate studies, vocational-technical training, and certification and job training programs. They may be used for study at in-state or out-of-state public and private schools.
The International Association of Fire Fighters
1750 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Website: client.prod.iaff.org/#contentid=1743
The W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship provides financial assistance for sons, daughters or legally adopted children of IAFF Union Members killed in the line of duty planning to attend a university, accredited college or other institution of higher learning. Scholarship amount is $2,500 per year, renewable up to 4 consecutive years.
HEALTH INSURANCE
A surviving spouse and any dependent children are eligible to continue the health coverage provided by the employer of the deceased firefighter as if the surviving spouse was an employee of the employer. A spouse is eligible for this coverage until they become eligible for Medicare. A child is eligible for this coverage until the age of 26.
The employer shall pay 100% of the premium costs and, if the health coverage is a high-deductible plan, the employer’s share of any contribution into a health savings account for the surviving spouse and dependent children. Employees of the state are not eligible for this premium coverage.
The firefighter must have been eligible to receive, or was receiving, employer group health coverage at the time of death.
Contact your fire department for specific information about the coverage offered and any forms needed to engage this coverage.
Reference: Utah Code Section 49-20-406, 53-17-201
FUNERAL & CREMATION BENEFITS
Dignity Memorial
Phone: (800) 343-4464Website: www.dignitymemorial.com
Dignity Memorial is a consortium of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers across the United States and Canada. They have a Public Servants Program for first responders and emergency services workers. Dignity provides these services, at no cost, for career and volunteer firefighters who are killed in the line of duty. Also provides “extended counseling” to the grieving family. There is a location finder per state on the website, and funeral directors are encouraged to contact Dignity regarding the first responder program.
Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.
2913 Gardner RoadBroadview, IL 50155
Phone: (708) 681-7040 (Terry Whitlock)
Website: www.wilbert.com
Wilbert provides complimentary burial vaults (including urns vaults) for fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters through 193 licensee locations. Funeral directors should contact Wilbert for information on obtaining vaults.
