Related: Harry Carter Comments on the Council's Decision
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DAVE J. IANNONE
Firehouse.Com News
An anonymous donor came forward last week in the city of Keokuk, Iowa to pay for the
funerals of the three firefighters who died searching a burning house for children
trapped inside.
The donation comes a week after the city's council voted not to
pay for the funerals in a 7-2 decision that sent shockwaves across the nation's fire service
in the shadow of a deadly December for firefighters.
AP World Wide Photos/Charlie Neibergall
Colleen Bitting, left, and Kimberly Tuck, right, recact as their husbands, Jason Bitting and Nate Tuck, are honored along with fellow firefighter David McNally during a ceremony, Feb. 16, at the statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. The three Keokuk, Iowa, firefighters were killed while trying to save the lives of three children during a December house fire. The following day they
learned that the city of Keokuk would not pay for their husbands' funerals.
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Dozens of posts have flooded Firehouse.Com since the last weekend, virtually all opposed to the council's decision.
"These firefighters responded to the call of duty, bravely chose to risk their lives to save another and paid the ultimate price," wrote Jeffrey G. Coffey, President of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 283 in Fort Lewis, WA. "They deserve so much more than you seem willing to give. You have brought discredit upon yourselves and your community."
Coffey -- like many others -- forwarded his letter to the Keokuk council and local
web sites.
The families also had their health insurance benefits cut off, but did receive $80,000
each in life insurance and are eligible to receive $147,000 in federal public safety death
benefits. Like many states, Iowa does not have a statewide public safety line of duty
death benefit payment.
Funds established in the Keokuk community have also raised money to support the families.
Officials said more than $200,000 had been raised through combined funds through Feb. 24.
But while the Keokuk story is in high contrast to the substantial lifelong benefits that the families of the six Worcester, Mass. firefighters killed in December will receive, it is typical of benefits received by families of fallen public safety employees around the country.
Iowa is among many states that do not offer any extra death benefit, according to Mary Ellis of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
"You'd be surprised at the number of states that offer nothing," she said. "That's what we're really pushing for."
Assistant fire chief Dave McNally, 48, and Firefighters Jason Bitting, 29, and Nate Tuck, 39, were killed in the blaze. All three men were married and left behind a total of eight children. Three of the children the men went into rescue also died.
The wives of Tuck and Bitting had asked the city council earlier this year to pay for the funeral expenses. McNally's wife did not get involved in the issue. The three funerals totalled $21,000, officials said. The city also cut off the families' health insurance in January.
The union's contract with the city did not include a provision for funeral expenses.
"We just never dreamed it would ever be a problem." said Local 568 President Jeff Marlin. "We thought they'd want to do something."
Marlin said money is still coming into funds that will go to the victims' families, but current figures were not available.
"It would've been awfully nice if they would've paid for the funerals, but I believe we're going to go ahead and see that its taken care of ourselves," he said.
"Many times the wives of these victims has to return to work and support her family by herself," Ellis said, noting that a few states do also offer tuition assistance for children of fallen heroes.
There are no accurate statistics available as to what local juristications do in the event of a line of duty death, officials said, but according to a survey on Firehouse.Com this week, the majority of line of duty death funerals are paid for by the victims' families.
While 36% of the respondents didn't know who paid for funeral expenses, 26% of the more than 1,200 participants said that families covered those costs. Only 14% said that local government paid for funerals; 12% listed the local department and 8% state government.
A bigger issue in the tragedy may turn out to be the staffing level at the scene.
Keokuk does not have mutual aid agreements with the surrounding volunteer departments.
A first alarm house fire is typically handled by on-duty personnel -- typically five to
six firefighters -- as was the case in December's fire. Additional shifts were called
back to assist, but took precious minutes to arrive, officials said.
"Given the circumstances, construction type, life safety hazards etc. it's impossible to
effectively handle a similar fire with only 5 firefighters," said veteran fire chief Billy
Goldfeder of the City of Mason, Ohio Fire Department.
Marlin said staffing may be one of the factors when NIOSH releases its report on the blaze, but wouldn't comment further.
"That may be one of the things we look at in the future," he said.
The report from NIOSH -- which investigates firefighter deaths and injuries -- is not expected for several months.
The department has 19 full-time firefighters and protects approximately a ten square mile area with 13,000 residents.
Keokuk has been the scene of some of Iowa's most deadly fires.
Five children and two adults died in a March 1994 blaze; in January 1987, five people died; and in 1986, four people were killed.
The worst fire in the city's history came in November 1965, when a crushed gas line exploded, killing 21 square dancers at a party at the Iowa National Guard Armory building.
Two funds have been established to help the victims' families.
- Keokuk Firefighters Memorial Fund
Keokuk Savings Bank
501 Main St
Keokuk, IA 52632
Phone (319) 524-2944
Fax (319) 524-2329
- Keokuk Fire Fighter Memorial Fund
c/o Keokuk Fire Department
111 South 13th Street
Keokuk, IA 52632
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