rrjames99
10-04-2005, 06:02 PM
Senate passes call firefighter benefit bill
By Erik Arvidson Sentinel & Enterprise Statehouse Bureau
BOSTON -- Communities which employ call or volunteer firefighters would be required to offer an accidental death benefit to the families of those firefighters who die in the line of duty, under a bill approved by the state Senate Thursday.
Senators unanimously approved legislation which supporters said will provide a safety net for families such as Claire McNamara of Lancaster and her three children, whose father, Martin McNamara, died fighting a house fire in 2003.
State Sen. Robert A. Antonioni, D-Leominster, said that volunteer and professional firefighters should be treated the same in the eyes of the law when it comes to offering death benefits to families.
"Had (McNamara) been a professional firefighter on the day that he gave his life, we wouldn't be here talking about this today," Antonioni said. "His widow and his three small girls would have been taken care of. Massachusetts law, historically, has made a very severe distinction between the benefits available to a call and volunteer firefighter and a professional firefighter."
Because McNamara was not a full-time firefighter, he was not entitled to receive a publicly-funded pension. In 2004, voters in Lancaster rejected a tax increase that would have paid for a $650,000 annuity for the McNamara family.
The bill approved by the Senate gives cities and towns with call or volunteer firefighters a range of options for providing an annuity to their firefighters, volunteer emergency medical technicians, and auxiliary police. The House has already approved a similar bill.
The family of a deceased firefighter would be entitled to an amount of money based on the average starting salary of a career firefighter in the surrounding towns. The local legislative body of a city or town would also be allowed to opt out of the system.
The McNamara family would also receive a $23,000 per year allowance under a provision included in the bill.
Joseph Maruca, legislative director for the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association, said the bill allows smaller communities to band together and jointly purchase insurance for their emergency personnel.
There are roughly 8,500 volunteer firefighters in Massachusetts, nearly 45 percent of the total firefighters in the state. According to Maruca, Massachusetts has a higher percentage of professional firefighters than any other state in the country.
"That's because the laws have always favored the career side of the service, and haven't been as encouraging for the volunteer side. So, this is a big day for volunteer firefighters," Maruca said.
There are 120 communities with entirely volunteer fire departments, and another 160 communities with a combination of professional and call firefighters.
James Buck, a spokesman for the McNamara family, said the family was very pleased with the bill passed by the Senate.
"These young men are not only putting their lives at risk, but are putting their families' economic security at risk," Buck said. "The towns certainly shouldn't shirk their responsibility, as they're getting fire protection on the cheap. They have an obligation, under the bill, to provide financial assistance."
McNamara was an employee of Technical Drilling Service in Sterling when he died.
Erik Arvidson's e-mail address is earvidson@lowellsun.com.
By Erik Arvidson Sentinel & Enterprise Statehouse Bureau
BOSTON -- Communities which employ call or volunteer firefighters would be required to offer an accidental death benefit to the families of those firefighters who die in the line of duty, under a bill approved by the state Senate Thursday.
Senators unanimously approved legislation which supporters said will provide a safety net for families such as Claire McNamara of Lancaster and her three children, whose father, Martin McNamara, died fighting a house fire in 2003.
State Sen. Robert A. Antonioni, D-Leominster, said that volunteer and professional firefighters should be treated the same in the eyes of the law when it comes to offering death benefits to families.
"Had (McNamara) been a professional firefighter on the day that he gave his life, we wouldn't be here talking about this today," Antonioni said. "His widow and his three small girls would have been taken care of. Massachusetts law, historically, has made a very severe distinction between the benefits available to a call and volunteer firefighter and a professional firefighter."
Because McNamara was not a full-time firefighter, he was not entitled to receive a publicly-funded pension. In 2004, voters in Lancaster rejected a tax increase that would have paid for a $650,000 annuity for the McNamara family.
The bill approved by the Senate gives cities and towns with call or volunteer firefighters a range of options for providing an annuity to their firefighters, volunteer emergency medical technicians, and auxiliary police. The House has already approved a similar bill.
The family of a deceased firefighter would be entitled to an amount of money based on the average starting salary of a career firefighter in the surrounding towns. The local legislative body of a city or town would also be allowed to opt out of the system.
The McNamara family would also receive a $23,000 per year allowance under a provision included in the bill.
Joseph Maruca, legislative director for the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association, said the bill allows smaller communities to band together and jointly purchase insurance for their emergency personnel.
There are roughly 8,500 volunteer firefighters in Massachusetts, nearly 45 percent of the total firefighters in the state. According to Maruca, Massachusetts has a higher percentage of professional firefighters than any other state in the country.
"That's because the laws have always favored the career side of the service, and haven't been as encouraging for the volunteer side. So, this is a big day for volunteer firefighters," Maruca said.
There are 120 communities with entirely volunteer fire departments, and another 160 communities with a combination of professional and call firefighters.
James Buck, a spokesman for the McNamara family, said the family was very pleased with the bill passed by the Senate.
"These young men are not only putting their lives at risk, but are putting their families' economic security at risk," Buck said. "The towns certainly shouldn't shirk their responsibility, as they're getting fire protection on the cheap. They have an obligation, under the bill, to provide financial assistance."
McNamara was an employee of Technical Drilling Service in Sterling when he died.
Erik Arvidson's e-mail address is earvidson@lowellsun.com.