Please click here or on the logo above to return to our home page.
|
Please click here or on the logo above to return to our home page. |
CHRIS KANGAS DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED.
So does anyone who serves a
volunteer fire department (or EMS squad) in a non-firefighting
on-scene support role.
|
In 2002, a highly dedicated 14-year-old junior firefighter named
Chris Kangas was killed when he was struck by a car while responding
to an emergency call on his bicycle. The Department of Justice
initially denied Chris' family the benefits due to the family of a
firefighter who dies in the line of duty and refused to allow Chris'
name to be placed on the National Fallen Firefighters' Memorial. In
the most recent federal appeals court decision, the DOJ's point of
view is being upheld. Chris and others like him, whose services are
extremely beneficial to volunteer fire departments, are and will be
denied "Line of Duty" death benefits because they are not
directly engaged in fire suppression or rescue activities. Other related links:
Dear Senator or Representative, I am writing to beg you to consider drafting or supporting, at least, a resolution expressing the opinion of Congress that the legal definition of "firefighter" must be expanded to include "support" members of volunteer fire departments such as junior firefighters, fire police, auxiliary members, and canteen and rehab teams. The volunteer fire service can not do without the support offered by these vital volunteers, even though they themselves do not directly fight fire. I refer to the case of Chris Kangas, a 14-year-old Junior Firefighter from Delaware County (PA) who was killed while en route to an emergency call in 2002. In the most recent court decision in the case, a federal appeals court upheld the Department of Justice's decision that Chris was not a firefighter, so his family was not entitled to his federal death benefit and Chris' name would not be placed on the Fallen Firefighters' Memorial at the National Fire Academy. Apparently the court's decision was based on the fact that Chris' position as a Junior Firefighter meant he himself did not put out fires. Without the aid of "support" members such as junior firefighters, fire police and auxiliary/rehab teams, many volunteer fire departments would find it much more difficult to operate at fires and other emergencies. If this court decision is not overturned, fire departments may lose "support" volunteers in droves. The volunteer fire service in the U.S. is in enough trouble already. Volunteer numbers are declining each year without cases like this adding fuel to the fire. Let's face it, who would willingly volunteer to help a fire department if they think that they "don't count" in the eyes of their government, if they believe that they or their families will not be covered by insurance if something should go wrong? If you need more information about the above case, there is a slew of it all over the Internet (just search for "Chris Kangas"). Once again, I ask you most urgently to consider adopting or supporting, at minimum, a resolution (or preferably a Bill) that would expand the legal definition of "firefighter" to include junior firefighters, fire police, auxiliaries, canteen units, rehab teams and other groups of people who perform vital support functions on emergency scenes but who do not directly fight fire. Thank you sincerely for your time and your service to your country. At your service, <<YOUR NAME HERE>> <<ADD THE NAME OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR EMS SQUAD WHERE YOU BELONG>>
|