[W]hen a Vermont firefighter or emergency responder is killed in the line of duty, their family is eligible to receive $50,000 — police officers, however, are not offered the same benefit. But a new bill, endorsed Thursday by the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police, is looking to change that.
H.66, which has been referred to the Committee on Government Operations, is the third attempt at passing legislation to add law enforcement to the existing statute.
“I think in previous years, we haven’t really had anybody calling for it outside of me and a couple of police officers that I talked to,” said Rep. Michael Yantachka, D-Charlotte. “It’s really great that the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police now seems to be getting behind it.
“So many bills are introduced any given session, and you know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” he said, “so the more people that call in and support it at grassroots level, the more attention it’ll get.”
The legislation would offer a one-time $50,000 benefit to the survivors of a police officer who dies either on the job or because of an occupation-related illness, if the officer is certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council.
“The law already allows the survivors of firefighters and EMS providers to receive a one-time monetary death benefit, should there be a death while that person is performing their duty to protect and save lives,” said Newport Police Chief Seth DiSanto, vice president of the police chiefs association, in a press release. “The families of law enforcement should be offered the same, should they ever fall victim to a tragedy while on duty.”
It would also add the executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council and a member of the public appointed by the governor to the benefit review board that oversees whether a family qualifies for the benefit.
“It’s something we hope never gets used, like any insurance,” Yantachka said. “But it honors those who put their lives at risk for us, and that’s something we should recognize.”
The Officer Down Memorial Page lists 26 police officers and two K9 officers that have died in the line of duty in Vermont’s history — most recently, Kyle David Young, who died in 2015 from a fatal medical emergency during a training session at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho.
