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Death - Pension

 
 
Alabama None.
Alaska None.
Arizona Spouse of Public Safety Retirement System member receives 100% of the deceased member's monthly average monthly benefit compensation. Children are eligible for benefits until age 23 if they are full-time students and unmarried. The pension plan is reinstated for remarried spouses who become single again.

Contact: Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, 3010 East Camelback Road, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Phone: (602) 255-5575.
Arkansas This benefit is only applicable to members of the Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System (LOPFI). If duty-related death occurs before age 55, service credit is determined as if the deceased has accrued 25 years of service. Volunteer service is indexed. The spousal benefit is computed as if the employee had retired; the monthly benefit is equal to 50% of the amount a volunteer firefighter would receive. The benefit for dependent children is based on several factors. LOPFI is a "Defined Benefit" Plan where the member bears no investment risk.  LOPFI has a 5  year vesting.  Each July 1st, LOPFI retirees receive a compound 3% cost of living adjustment (COLA).  Members have to be retired for 12 full months prior to July 1st to receive a COLA.  Call LOPFI to schedule an appointment for pre-retirement counseling 30-90 days prior to desired retirement date. Remember, all retirement dates are effective the 1st day of each month.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA): member (if applicable) and employer contributions must be paid into the system after the member returns to LOPFI covered employment. Service credit is granted only after payment is full. Please remember this provision is exercised at the member's discretion.

Contact: Local Police and Fire Pension Review Board.  620 West 3rd Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Phone: (501) 682-1745. www.lopfi-prb.com; email: info@lopfi-prb.com
California
Benefits for survivors of firefighters who were members of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) include Group Term Life Insurance and a special death benefit. Group Term Life Insurance provides survivor of firefighter with a tax-free, lump-sum benefit of $5,000. For members with less than 20 years of State service, benefit is $5,000 plus an amount equal to six months pay. Special Death Benefit for a spouse of a State or Local Firefighter who died in performance of duties as a result of an accident or injury. Benefit may provide a monthly allowance equal to 50% of firefighter?s final compensation. Allowance may increase to a maximum of 75% of final compensation based on the number of unmarried children under age 22 and if external violence or physical force caused duty-related death. This additional benefit ceases when child marries or reaches age 22. Spouse may also elect other types of death benefits. Employer continues health benefits under same terms and conditions for spouse and for children under age 21 if firefighter died in performance of duties as a result of accident or injury. If survivor elects lump sum payment, this health benefit does not apply. Legislation passed in 2002 protects survivors of CalPERS members from an interruption in health benefit coverage. This provision covers family members who were validly enrolled in an approved health benefits plan at the date of the firefighter's death. The firefighter's agency is required to continue to pay the employer's contribution for a specified period.

Survivors of a firefighter who died in the line of duty are entitled to state-funded health benefits if the employer contribution did not cover 100% of the cost of health-care premiums. The employer of the fallen firefighter must notify the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, which will then determine eligibility. The Worker's Compensation Appeals Board will resolve any disputes regarding whether the cause of death was duty-related.

Contact: CalPERS. Lincoln Plaza North, 400 Q Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Phone: (888) 225-7377. www.calpers.ca.gov
Colorado Volunteer firefighters may now receive benefits under the Volunteer Fire Fighters Pension Act if the municipality chooses. For those firefighters who do receive these benefits, the surviving spouse is eligible for monthly benefits of 40% to 50% of the annual base salary depending on the number of dependent children. Children receive benefits until age 19, if unmarried; age 23 if unmarried and full-time student; no age limit if incapable of self-support. If survivors become eligible for benefits after October 15, 2002, the surviving spouse, with or without children, will receive 70% of the monthly base salary being paid to the member immediately preceding death.

Contact: Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado. 5290 DTC Parkway, Suite 100, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Phone: (303) 770-3772 or 800-332-3772. www.fppaco.org
Connecticut Provided by the municipality.
Delaware Covered under Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Pension Plan. Designated beneficiary receives a lump sum death benefit equal to the excess, if any, of the accumulated contributions with interest over the aggregate. The amount of the monthly pension payable to an eligible member shall be $5 multiplied by the number of years of credited service up to a maximum of 25 years.

Contact: Office of Pensions. McArdle Building, 860 Silver Lake Boulevard, Suite 1, Dover, DE 19904-2402. Phone: (302) 739-4208 or (800) 722-7300.
Florida Most full-time and volunteer municipal and special district firefighters covered under Firefighters Pension Trust Fund.

Contact: Municipal Police Officers' and Firefighters' Retirement Trust Funds Office, Division of Retirement, PO Box 3010, Tallahassee, FL 32315-3010. Phone: (850) 922-0667.
Georgia In addition to pension benefits provided by department, the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund gives $5,000 to the designated beneficiary of a plan member.

Contact: local departments.
Hawaii None.
Idaho None.
Illinois None.
Indiana Survivors of members of the 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Fund are eligible for pension benefits. Pension payments are reinstated for remarried widows who subsequently become single again. Adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.

Spouse receives the benefit that the member would have been entitled to at time of death or that of a member with 20 years' service at age 52. Each surviving child is entitled to a monthly benefit equal to 20% of the member's benefit until the child reaches age 18, age 23 if a full-time student, or longer if incapable of self-support.

Contact: The 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension and Disability Fund. 143 West Market Street, Suite 602, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2899. Phone: (317) 233-4152.
Iowa Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP): The Board has entered into a program with Penflex and RBC Dain Rauscher. Currently each member department has the option to join this plan. A committee was formed to attempt to establish a statewide program that the State of Iowa would invest dollars into but that funding was not available. Efforts to implement this program are still in process. 
Kansas None.
Kentucky None.
Louisiana None.
Maine None.
Maryland Volunteers are not eligible for a pension plan through the State Retirement System, but local departments may have their own pension plans.
Massachusetts Survivors of volunteers killed in the line of duty do not receive a pension, but cities, towns, and districts have the option of providing the required $500,000 death benefit in the form of an annuity to any survivors.

Contact: State Board of Retirement, Room 1219, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108-1607. Phone: (617) 367-7770 or (800) 392-6014.
Michigan Under Firefighters and Police Officers Retirement Act, the spouse receives a pension of the same amount as that which has been paid as a weekly benefit under Workers' Compensation. Pension becomes payable upon the termination of the Workers' Compensation and continues for spouse's life or until remarriage. Dependent children receive pension of same amount as they received under Workers' Compensation when that payment ceased. Payment to unmarried children continues until age 18.

Under Municipal Employees' Retirement System (MERS) of Michigan, payment to spouse shall not be less than 25% of the member's final average compensation. Surviving child's allowance shall not be less than an equal share of 25% of the member's final average compensation. If the municipality has adopted Benefit Program D-2, the allowance shall not be less than the amount computed as if the member had acquired an additional 10 years of service not to exceed a total of 30 years of credited service. Remarriage of the spouse does not end eligibility to receive pension. Unmarried children are eligible until age 21.

Contact: Municipal Employees' Retirement System. 1134 Municipal Way, Lansing, MI 48917. Phone: (517) 703-9030 or (800) 767-6377. www.mersofmich.com.
Minnesota None.
Mississippi None.
Missouri Benefit provided on a city-by-city basis.
Montana Volunteer firefighters are covered under Volunteer Firefighters' Compensation Act (VFCA). Survivors receive a one-time death payment of $25,000 as listed above and a minimum $2,000 payment.

Contact: Public Employee's Retirement System (PERS). 1712 Ninth Avenue, P. O. Box 200131, Helena, MT 59620-0131. Phone: (406) 444-3154 or (800) ASK-PERB.
Nebraska None.
Nevada None.
New Hampshire Spouse receives an annual allowance not to exceed $1,250. If the spouse remarries, the annual allowance will transfer to any dependent children under age 18, then to dependent parents. Children are considered dependent until age 18 or age 23 if attending college full-time.

Contact: New Hampshire Retirement System. 54 Regional Drive, Concord, NH 03301. Phone: (603) 410-3500. http://webster.state.nh.us/retirement.
New Jersey The pension program provides $15,000 annually to the surviving spouse or children, $10,000 annually to the children if the spouse remarries, or $5,000 annually to the parents if the firefighter leaves no surviving spouse or children. To receive benefits, the firefighter must have died as the result of injuries sustained in the course of performance of duty on or after January 1, 2000.

Contact: Pension and Benefits Division, New Jersey State Treasury. PO Box 295, Trenton, NJ 08625-0295. Phone: (609) 292-7524. pension.nj@treas.nj.us. www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions.
New Mexico None.
New York None.
North Carolina The spouse receives a lump-sum benefit for the amount the firefighter paid into the pension fund. If there is no spouse, benefits are paid to children or their guardian. The N.C. Firemen's Pension Fund provides $165.00 per month at age 55 and 20 years of service.

Contact: North Carolina Firemen's and Rescue Squad Workers' Pension Fund, Department of State Treasurer, Albemarle Building, 325 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27603-1385. Phone: (919) 508-5360. nc.retirement@treasurer.state.nc.us.
North Dakota None.
Ohio None.
Oklahoma Must be a member of the Firefighters Pension and Retirement System to receive benefits. $5,000 death benefit which may be assigned to the funeral home. Beneficiary receives an amount not to exceed 100% of the pension they would have received if firefighter had reached retirement date. If the firefighter dies from heart disease, injury to the respiratory system or cancer, death may be presumed line of duty. Payable to spouse or, if spouse dies, to children under age 18 or until age 22 if full-time student. Volunteer firefighters currently receive a benefit of $139.40 per month for retirement after twenty years of service.

Contact: Firefighters Pension and Retirement System. 4545 N. Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 265, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. Phone: (405) 522-4600 or (800) 525-7461. www.youroklahoma.com/okfirepen.
Oregon None.
Pennsylvania None.
Rhode Island There is no pension plan, but there is a special program through the Relief of Injured and Deceased Fire Fighters and Police Officers. If a volunteer firefighter is killed or dies from injuries received while in the performance of his or her duty as a member or dies of a heart condition, respiratory ailments, or any condition derived from hypertension while still a member. Benefit of $3,600 a year is paid to a spouse as long as the spouse does not remarry. An additional $1,200 a year is paid to the spouse for each child under age 18 or disabled and incapable of self-support. Law makes provisions for other possible situations. Amounts are not affected by contributions from other sources. The program is funded by the state.

Contact: Department of Labor and Training, Police & Fire Relief Fund. 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920. Phone: (401) 462-8855.
South Carolina None.
South Dakota None.
Tennessee None.
Texas Texas Local Fire Fighters' Retirement Act, covering many municipalities and departments, provides different death benefits and monthly allowances for each local plan. Departments and municipalities determine the details of their individual plans. Also, Texas Statewide Emergency Services Personnel Retirement Act provides a lump-sum payment of $60,000 (as of 1999) to the beneficiary and monthly pension payments equal to 66 2/3% of the member's full retirement annuity to be shared equally between the spouse and minor children. Children are eligible until age 18, age 19 if a full-time student, or if the child became disabled before his or her 22nd birthday and remains incapable of self-support. This is a lifetime benefit for the spouse. The department must participate in the plan for a firefighter to receive benefits.

Contact: Firefighters Pension Commission. PO Box 12577, Austin, TX 78711. Phone: (512) 936-3372.
Utah The spouse of a volunteer firefighter who dies in the line of duty and who has less than 20 years of service credit receives a lump sum payment of $1,500 plus a monthly benefit of 30% of the monthly wages of the lowest paid firefighters in a first-class city . Each unmarried child under 21 receives $75 per month if firefighter had five or more years of service credit. Total monthly benefits cannot exceed 75% of the lowest paid firefighter's average monthly salary.

Contact: Utah Retirement Systems. 560 East 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84102-2099. Phone: (801) 366-7700 or (800) 365-8772. www.urs.org.
Vermont None.
Virginia The pension benefit applies only to members of the Volunteer Firefighters' & Rescue Squad Workers' Service Award Program. The amount the deceased firefighter contributed to the fund will be given to the beneficiary in a lump-sum payment upon death. Death benefits are payable to the spouse, or equally to the children if no spouse survives. The program is not yet funded.

Contact: Volunteer Firefighters' & Rescue Squad Workers' Service Award Program. 9020 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23235. Phone: (804) 267-3116 or the Department's VOLSAP representative.
Washington The Line-of-duty death survivor spouse pension has a pop-up and cost-of-living adjustment provision. As of September 2003 the line-of-duty death surviving spouse pension is $1,378.60 with an additional $118.94 for each child under the age of 18. There is an additional provision for parents if there are no surviving spouse or children. The Maximum benefit is $2,550 per month. Benefits cease upon remarriage.

Contact: State Board for Volunteer Fire Fighters and Reserve Officers. 605 E. 11th Avenue #112, PO Box 114, Olympia, WA 98507. Phone: (360) 753-7318 or (877) 753-7318. www.bvff.wa.gov.
West Virginia None.
Wisconsin A new program will provide length-of-service awards for volunteer firefighters. Municipalities may make annual contributions to individual's account. The state will match that amount with a limit of $257 per account, adjusted annually. The beneficiary of a firefighter who dies in the line of duty will be entitled to the participant's full service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, consisting of all municipal and state contributions made on behalf of the volunteer firefighter and all the earnings on the contributions.

Contact: Length of Service Award Program, Department of Administration, Division of Housing and Intergovernmental Relations. 101 East Wilson Street, PO Box 8944, Madison, WI 53702-8944. Phone: (608) 261-6580. www.doa.state.wi.us.
Wyoming Volunteer Firemen's Pension Fund. Must have been a member of the Fund prior to death. The surviving spouse receives a monthly lifetime payment based on the age at the time the member entered the pension plan.

Contact: Wyoming Retirement System. 6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 500, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: (307) 777-7691. Fax: (307) 777-5995.  http://retirement.state.wy.us.