On May 16 the Senate passed S.459, the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003, which is sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.). The House of Representatives is considering identical legislation, H.R. 919.

The Hometown Heroes bill extends the current Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program to those who die as a result of a heart attack or stroke within 24 hours of being on duty, responding to an emergency or participating in a training exercise. Heart attacks and strokes represent a significant risk among public safety officers, accounting for nearly half of all firefighter deaths each year.

The PSOB program currently provides financial assistance to families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty, as well as to officers permanently disabled while on the job. The death benefit is payable to the survivors of a public safety officer who has died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty.

However, in almost every incidence of death by heart attack or stroke, it's ruled that the heart attack or stroke was not a direct result of an injury sustained in the line of duty and the family receives no benefits, even though the deaths appear to be triggered by the rigors of the job.

“Heart attacks and strokes are a reality of the high-pressure jobs of police officers, firefighters and medics,” said Leahy. “These are killers that they contend with in their jobs, just like speeding bullets and burning buildings. They put their lives on the line for us, and we owe their families our gratitude, our respect and our help. No amount of money can fill the void that is left by these losses, but ending this disparity can help these families keep food on the table and shelter over their heads. It helps them make the transition into their new lives.”

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Volunteer Fire Council are issuing a legislative call for action asking all members and fire service personnel to contact their U.S. representatives in support of the legislation.

The House bill, written by Rep. Bob Etheridge (N.C.), has more than 200 co-sponsors. The organizations would like to get more co-sponsors for this legislation to demonstrate the overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill to the leadership of the House of Representatives.

Because of changes to congressional mail handling procedures in the aftermath of the anthrax attack, faxing rather than mailing letters to your representative's office is advised. Contact information can be found at www.congress.org by entering your ZIP code and selecting your representative.