BOSTON – Firefighter Marty McNamara had two young daughters and a third on the way when he barreled into a burning basement last November. His family was protected by the same accidental death benefit that covers every part-time firefighter in the state: none.
On Tuesday, the town of Lancaster voted to deny McNamara’s widow survivor benefits, exposing a system in which towns ask part-time and volunteer firefighters to risk their lives, but leave their families with nothing if a fire takes them.
Lancaster selectman David Dunn hopes the case will create an opportunity for statewide reform.
Officials plan to meet today to consider other ways to help Claire McNamara and her family.
According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, half the states have no pension benefits for surviving spouses of volunteer firefighters who die in the line of duty. Some, unlike Massachusetts, also have no one-time payment to the families. A few don’t even pay for funerals.
In Massachusetts, as many as 10,000 volunteer and on-call firefighters (who unlike volunteers are paid a small stipend) staff about 230 departments, said Lawrence Holmberg, president of the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association.
Dunn hopes for a broad solution: asking the state’s 230 towns with on-call or volunteer departments for a one-time, $30,000 investment into a reserve fund to pay death benefits.
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