The Fallen Heroes

Gordon Graham here again – and thank you for taking the time to read my little corner of this great site – and thank you for your continued efforts in protecting your communities. In the news today as I prepare this piece for the September 1 deadline are the wildland fires around California – growing in terms of number and size – and sadly as I prepare this piece on Sunday evening I have just learned about the tragic death of the two Los Angeles County Firefighters on Mt. Gleason.

Oddly enough, last week when I started thinking about what I was going to write about for this iteration of my efforts – I was going to write about a related topic – what happens after the tragedy occurs – and now as I consider if I should continue on this theme my mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts.

Originally, I was going to use my Department as an example – the CHP. Sadly, we have lost in excess of two hundred members since inception in 1929. I cannot speak about what type of “benefits” were afforded to survivors back in the early days – but I now know that when a CHP officer is killed in the line of duty – the Patrol takes care of the deceased member’s family. And I recognize that nothing could ever be done after the death to fully make the family “whole” again – that void will never be adequately filled. But providing for the family “financially” after the death is something the CHP does well.

And in my career I saw great improvement in the efforts of the Patrol with the establishment of a “Foundation” – funded with non government monies – and with the focused goal of taking care of survivors financially after the tragedy. This group associated with the Patrol is “The CHP 11-99 Foundation” and over the years they have done so much to help people in need.

And the CHP is not alone in these efforts. LAPD, LASO, SJPD, SFPD and other major law enforcement agencies have similar programs. All of us in California (and around the nation for that matter) experienced the aftermath of the murders of the four Oakland PD officers in March of this year. The spouses and the children will be well taken care of “financially.” Big police departments have the resources to do that.

And big agencies on the “fire” side have similar programs. I don’t know this for a fact, but based on what I know about Los Angeles County Fire Department and Chief P. Michael Freeman, the families of the two “fallen heroes” who perished today will be “financially” secure in the future.

Obviously, I am leading up to something – in this case a big “but.” “But” what happens to the “fallen hero” from a small agency perishes in a LODD event? My travels around America have put me in a lot of “small” places – communities with fire and police departments with just a few members – and small budgets and other resources.
I don’t think that many of these “small” communities would be able to provide as much “financially” as a much larger agency would.

To be sure, the deceased officer or firefighter would get the same “benefits” from the State and Federal government programs in place – but what about the travel expenses for out of state relatives coming for the funeral and what about this months house payment and what about the instant loss of overtime income?

Back to the CHP – and I know this “system” well – the 11-99 Foundation immediately steps in with an instant payment (a large payment) to the family of the “fallen hero” to take care of instant financial needs – and does so much to take care of the family beyond that. But again I will pose this question. What happens when the LODD involves a small department in the middle of “No Where?”

Apparently, I was not alone in my concerns. I received a phone call in March from Tom Gallinatti – formerly of Oakland Fire Department – posing all sorts of questions along the lines aforementioned in this piece. And he also corresponded with other people he knew in the police world – and a mutual friend in the fire world – who is another writer on this great site – Chief (Ret.) Paul Stein – and all of a sudden I am sitting in a room last Friday with nearly a dozen people with similar concerns. What happens to the families of “the fallen heroes” from the small public safety agencies in California – and for that matter – around the rest of our great nation.

Anyhow, allow me to introduce you to “The Fallen Heroes” – and the website is not yet finalized – but it soon will be and please make a visit to www.thefallenheroes.org someplace around October 1 and take a look at what this organization will be doing for the “fallen heroes” that suffer a LODD – regardless of the financial resources of their employing organization.

If you have met me in the past, you know I am the constant optimist – with grand plans for trying to make things better in this world. And as I listened to Tom Gallinatti and Paul Stein and the rest of the Board of Directors of “TFH” – I was so impressed with the commitment to address this pressing need of taking care of the families of “fallen heroes.”

If you take the time to check out Chief Stein’s comments this month – he will be addressing the same issue – in his own words – and with the same goal. Please do not consider my writing (or his for that matter) a “request for funds” as it is not intended to do that. Mr. Gallinatti has plans for how to properly fund this great effort. But I am requesting your support in another way. Take a look at the site when it is up – and tell your friends about this momentous effort by a bunch of people who are not doing this for any other reason than “they care”.

And I know “you care” also – so if you can spread the word about what “TFH” is doing, that would be just wonderful. And I thank you in advance for your help with this issue.
And please keep these two “Fallen Heroes” from Los Angeles County FD in your prayers – and if you are not a prayerful person – in your thoughts. I am so saddened by their deaths and am so grateful that we have people like them who are willing to risk everything to keep my family and me safe.

Anyhow, I hope you have a wonderful September, and I will see you next month. Until then, take care and stay safe – and please remember “The Fallen Heroes” – regardless of what size agency they work for.

Gordon Graham
Co-President, Lexipol

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