Proposed Bill Would Give Death Benefits to "Fire Police"

Joe Courtney, the Democratic representative from Connecticut, has introduced legislation in the House to provide federal death benefits to "fire police" who are killed in the line of duty.

Currently, families of members of police & fire departments, as well as EMT's employed by a government, are authorized to receive cash payments when the member is killed in the line of duty. The proposed law would add fire police to the list. Fire police are defined in the bill as a person who:

is serving in accordance with State or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency but is not a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, a chaplain, or a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who..provides scene security or directs traffic 

Federal, state & local emergency management officials are also currently covered, but only when they are involved in an actual declared disaster.

Read the full text of the proposed change here.

Do non-law enforcement, non-firefighter personnel deserve to be included in this group? Weigh in below, in the comments section.