My cousin was a police detective in Chicago. At the age of 46, he had a massive heart attack and died watching television. It was only after his death that his wife and teenagers learned that he had never updated his insurance forms, which still listed his father as the beneficiary.

Maybe that’s why it caught my attention last week when the Arizona State Bar Association, the United Phoenix Firefighters Association, the Phoenix Fire Department and the 100 Club of Arizona unveiled the “Wills for Heroes” program. This free program is designed to help emergency first responders create wills, living wills and other estate-planning documents.

The idea originated with a lawyer in South Carolina who wanted to do something to help his local fire department after 9/11. A Tucson, Ariz., lawyer heard about the idea last year and hopes to expand it into a statewide program.

The 100 Club of Arizona donated the use of 10 laptops, and the “legalese” software also was donated. Lawyers and notaries volunteered their time to meet individually with firefighters, police officers, paramedics and corrections officers to create the documents. The program is also available for spouses’ wills.

According to Phoenix Fire Department’s Asst. Chief Bob Kahn, the introduction of the program was a success, with almost 400 wills created on the first day.

“Firefighters are unique and a great cast of characters,” Kahn said. “Nobody loves their firefighters more than I do, but their loved ones loan them to us one-third of the time. Seeing the wives, significant others and kids in here working on these documents, it was almost festive going through it. It was a great atmosphere.”

Matt Silverman, senior director of communications for the State Bar of Arizona, said that firefighters and other first responders often are Type A personalities who are more likely to respond quickly to a dangerous situation than to call a lawyer.

“A lot of people are intimidated by who to call and how much will it cost,” Silverman said. “We take a lot of those fears away. What if your employer comes to you, tells you to show up and fill out this paper before you come in?” Silverman said.

For more information about the program, check out the Arizona Bar’s Web site.

Do you have a will? Is it current? Check your insurance beneficiaries while you’re at, it too. And no — a written letter does not constitute a legal will in most states!

Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director
janet@firechief.com