Federal Death Benefits Extend to EMS Personnel

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Cross-posted from another listserver...

This is one committee. It is not the full Senate or the House - it has not

been passed or signed by the President. There is still a long road ahead.

December 4, 2009

Federal death benefits extended to EMS personnel

The States News Service - WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee

Thursday approved legislation authored by U.S. Senator Leahy (D-Vt.)

to extend the federal Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program to

paramedics and emergency medical technicians who work or volunteer for

nonprofit ambulance services, for coverage when they are killed or disabled

in the line of duty. Leahy chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which

oversees the PSOB program, and he has successfully steered several PSOB

improvements into law in recent years.

The Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act is named in

honor of the Bennington emergency medical technician who was tragically

killed in an ambulance accident in June. The measure would qualify an

estimated 1200 Vermont EMS personnel for the PSOB program, which is run by

the U.S. Department of Justice..

For the entire article:

http://www.ems1.com/ems-advocacy/articles/679314-Federal-death-benefits-exte

nded-to-EMS-personnel/

Thom Seeber, CCEMT-P