Firefighter and First Responder Awareness & Outreach

Enacted in 1976, the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program is a unique partnership effort of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), PSOB Office and local, state, tribal, and federal public safety agencies, and national organizations to provide death, disability, and education benefits to those eligible for the program. This partnership relies significantly on the ability of the PSOB Office to obtain, from surviving agencies, related public safety agencies, and survivors themselves, the wide and complex range of evidence required to process and determine a claim according to the PSOB Act and regulations. This partnership also is critical for maintaining and enhancing national peer support and counseling programs that assist the families of those public safety officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will conduct significant and proactive outreach to public safety agencies nationwide to improve awareness of the benefits the PSOB Office offers to those eligible for the program. When tragedy strikes, surviving agencies are often overwhelmed with funeral arrangements and the paperwork involved in filing for federal, state, and other benefits on behalf of the survivors. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will prove expertise in successful networking and meaningful outreach to law enforcement, firefighter, and first responder agencies.

CA/NCF