Family benefits, organ donation could conflict for firefighters

The same desire to save lives, which prompts people to become firefighters, could be in conflict with their desire to be organ donors in the event of their deaths in the line of duty.

That came home to Suffolk County firefighters recently when a volunteer firefighter in another district, attending a conference in Washington, D.C., succumbed to a heart attack. Because the conference was part of his responsibilities, he was considered to have acted in the line of duty and his grieving family followed his last wishes that his organs be given to recipients in need of lifesaving surgery.

But that conflicted with a requirement for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and resulted in the firefighter’s family unwittingly losing death benefits that would have included money and/or tuition for his children to attend any of the SUNY schools. All organs must be intact in the body for an autopsy.

Shelter Island’s Arthur P. Bloom, a member of the Suffolk Country Fire Rescue Emergency Services Commission, carried that message back to his colleagues here Monday night at the monthly Board of Fire Commissioners meeting, suggesting that local emergency responders be alerted to a possible conflict between being an organ donor and the possibility of having to undergo an autopsy to protect family benefits. If families choose organ donation, often without knowing of autopsy requirements, they could be jeopardizing their own benefits, he said.

The family in question lost about $300,000 in benefits because of the decision to donate the firefighter’s organs, Mr. Bloom said.

“Grief is sometimes mitigated by knowing organs can be donated,” Mr. Bloom said. But under the circumstances, it’s important that firefighters be informed that they may be chancing a loss of benefits, he said.

BUDGET
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the 2015 budget of $863,702 with $818,804 coming from property taxes. The increase in the tax levy stays within the state-imposed 2 percent tax levy even though increases are at 2.93 percent because less was used in the current year, allowing the district to carry over the difference to 2015.

Taxpayers will see a decrease in their cost to support the district in 2015, despite a proposed 2.93 percent increase in spending. The decrease is the result of  a wider tax base.

An owner of property valued at $640,000 is expected to pay $174.49 in 2015 as compared with $175.36 paid to support the 2014 budget. An owner of property valued at $1 million is expected to pay $272.64 in 2015 as compared with the current $274 bill.

Small increases in spending are in the areas of equipment, insurance, repairs and maintenance and fuel oil. Some of the increases are offset by decreased spending, including a small savings in wages resulting from combining the treasurer’s and secretary’s jobs into a single job held by Ms. Williams. She has long been the district’s treasurer, but took over the secretary’s responsibilities last year upon the retirement of former secretary Jackie Tuttle.

RADIO EQUIPMENT
Mr. Bloom is also part of the Combined Radio Committee that includes representatives from police, fire departments and emergency medical personnel in the area and he advised the commissioners to avoid buying any radio equipment not sold by a reputable dealer. Fire districts trying to save money by buying radios on eBay have often found themselves with faulty equipment and no way to recover their money, Mr. Bloom said.

Shelter Island has resisted buying expensive new equipment pending resolution of what would best serve the district in communicating both with its own members and surrounding departments.

There has been ongoing confusion about whether low band service that exists today will be totally eliminated and the problem has been greater since home rule efforts allowed each municipality to choose its own methodology, he said. Suffolk County is trying to gain control of the situation.

Meanwhile, Shelter Island will look to consultants for advice before deciding what will best serve its needs