PSOB benefits for prescribed burn crews

[auxman]

Does anyone know if state agency employees who are trained and occassionally serve on teams conducting prescribed burns for wildlife habitat management have been covered by the Public Safety Officer Benefit Act for disabilities or deaths that have occurred on such burn?

If you can point to any web site that has details on such incidents or further information on the subject I would appreciate it. (No need to post the PSOB web site-- I've looked through it).

It seems to me that they would fall under the definition of "firefighter" used by that act, at least while actually conducting the prescribed burn. However, some folks are saying that it doesn't apply since the firefighting isn't being done for public safety reasons. My view is that the actually language of the act just refers to the containment and extinguishment of fires and that certianly happens as part of a prescribed burn.

Mostly looking for concrete examples of such incidents where coverage was allowed or rejected.

[jpdesilets1972]

most who do such activities are usually employees of that state's department of forestry, and as such are considered firefighters, however i'm not sure about state park agencies or other land management agencies that burn

[auxman]

FYI, I decided to go to the source and asked the folks at the agency that administer the act and they said that they probably would be covered for death or disability associated with actual prescribed burning activities, but not of course for death or disability associated with other parts of their job. The guy I talked to didn't recall any such case happening lately, but he thought that in general they would be covered. Of course, the specifics of any particular case are critical to the issue.