The Zoneton Fire Department lost two chiefs in three months to COVID-19, but neither of their families are receiving death benefits.A bill pre-filed Monday would change that."They're not going to take your temperature before they pull you out of a burning house," said Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville, the sponsor of Bill Request 430.Firefighters and other first responders are exposed to COVID-19 on a constant basis while on the job, Huff said. Under BR 430, "a first responder who dies as a result of COVID-19 or complications therefrom, is presumed to have died as a direct result of an act in the line of duty."The bill would cover firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders and would be retroactive to March 6, 2020.Huff filed the bill after hearing from Zoneton's new fire chief, Kevin Moulton, who said he was told current state law does not provide line of duty death benefits to the spouses or children of any first responders who die from COVID-19.Former Zoneton Fire Department Chief Rob Orkies died of COVID in December 2020, while his acting successor, Maj. Garry Key, died after a month-long battle with COVID in February 2021."Our med runs probably have doubled since this second wave of COVID has come through," Moulton said. "We're probably putting our hands on possible cases – I'm not going to say they're positive cases – possible cases maybe three, four times a day."
The Zoneton Fire Department lost two chiefs in three months to COVID-19, but neither of their families are receiving death benefits.
A bill pre-filed Monday would change that.
"They're not going to take your temperature before they pull you out of a burning house," said Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville, the sponsor of Bill Request 430.
Firefighters and other first responders are exposed to COVID-19 on a constant basis while on the job, Huff said. Under BR 430, "a first responder who dies as a result of COVID-19 or complications therefrom, is presumed to have died as a direct result of an act in the line of duty."
The bill would cover firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders and would be retroactive to March 6, 2020.
Huff filed the bill after hearing from Zoneton's new fire chief, Kevin Moulton, who said he was told current state law does not provide line of duty death benefits to the spouses or children of any first responders who die from COVID-19.
Former Zoneton Fire Department Chief Rob Orkies died of COVID in December 2020, while his acting successor, Maj. Garry Key, died after a month-long battle with COVID in February 2021.
"Our med runs probably have doubled since this second wave of COVID has come through," Moulton said. "We're probably putting our hands on possible cases – I'm not going to say they're positive cases – possible cases maybe three, four times a day."
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