Florida


Death	One-Time: There is a basic benefit of $50,000 for accidental death, plus an additional benefit of $50,000 if death occurs during emergency response. If a firefighter is unlawfully and intentionally killed, dies as a result of a fire determined to be an act of arson, or subsequently dies as a result of injuries sustained in either of these types of incidents, the total benefit is $150,000. Contact: Florida State Fire Marshal. 200 East Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0300. Phone: (850) 413-3170. Workers' Compensation: Benefit is 50% of average weekly wage from regular employment to spouse, and an additional 16 2/3% if there are dependent children. Spouse receives lump sum compensation equal to 26 weeks upon remarriage and weekly benefits cease. Children receive benefit longer if disabled and incapable of self-support and until age 22 if full-time students. Definition of employment includes volunteer firefighters responding to or assisting with fire or medical emergencies whether or not the firefighters are on duty. Contact: Division of Workers' Compensation, 200 East Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0300. Phone: (850) 413-3170. Funeral: Maximum of $5,000 for burial expenses. Contact: Division of Workers' Compensation, 200 East Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0300. Phone: (850) 413-3170. Pension: Most full-time and volunteer municipal and special district firefighters covered under Firefighters Pension Trust Fund. Contact: Municipal Police Officers? and Firefighters? Retirement Trust Funds Office, Division of Retirement, PO Box 3010, Tallahassee, FL 32315-3010. Phone: (850) 922-0667. Child's Education: Under State Statute-Title X, Chapter 112, education fees are waived for dependent children of firefighters killed in emergency response or in arson fire. Children seeking an undergraduate education, vocational-technical certificate, or a post-graduate degree will have the cost of tuition, matriculation, and other statutorily authorized fees waived. Surviving children may attend a state community college, state university, or a vocational-technical school, full- or part-time for up to 120 credit hours. Children eligible until age 25 for undergraduate or vocational study and up to age 29 for post-graduate programs. Contact: Registrar at each institution. May need to provide citation: State Statute-Title X, Chapter 112. Spouse's Education: Under State Statute-Title X, Chapter 112, education fees are waived for dependent children of firefighters killed in emergency response or in arson fire. Children seeking an undergraduate education, vocational-technical certificate, or a post-graduate degree will have the cost of tuition, matriculation, and other statutorily authorized fees waived. Surviving children may attend a state community college, state university, or a vocational-technical school, full- or part-time for up to 120 credit hours. However, spouse must start education benefits within five years after the firefighter's death. Contact: Registrar at each institution. May need to provide citation, which is State Statute-Title X, Chapter 112. Support Organizations: Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund, Inc. 80 S.W. 8th St., Suite 1910 Miami, FL 33130 Provides financial aid to students who lack economic ability to continue education beyond high school or to further college education. To be eligible, survivors must have been eligible for Workers? Compensation benefits. The following organizations serve individual counties or local areas throughout the state: The Hundred Club of Broward County PO Box 24345 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307-4345 (954) 563-3925 Provides assistance with immediate needs. Later will review overall financial status of family. Provides scholarships to spouse and children at the University of Florida at Gainesville and Florida State University at Tallahassee. The Collier County One Hundred Club 2640 Golden Gate Parkway #315 Naples, FL 34105 (941) 261-3453 The Hundred Club of Indian River County PO Box 5185 Vero Beach, FL 32961-5185 (850) 562-4502 Limited to Indian River County. Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships for children. The 200 Club of Jacksonville PO Box 92 Jacksonville, FL 32201 (904) 355-3675 Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships for children. Lee County Hundred Club 2075 West First Street Fort Myers, FL 33901 (941) 334-9191 100 Club of Martin County PO Box 3118 Stuart, FL 34995 (561) 283-7422 Limited to Martin County. Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships as needed. The Two Hundred Club of Greater Miami, Inc. 7320 SW 65th Avenue South Miami, FL 33143 (305) 666-4755 The One Hundred Club of Monroe County PO Box 522412 Marathon Shores, FL 33052-2412 (305) 743-0440 Limited to Monroe County. Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships as needed. Committee of One Hundred of Orange County PO Box 3753 Orlando, FL 32802 (407) 422-6105 Limited to Orange County. Provides immediate financial assistance as needed and scholarships on a case-by-case basis. The Osceola County Hundred Club, Inc. 607 Canterbury Lane Kissimmee, FL 34741 (407) 846-4129 Limited to Osceola County. Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships as needed. Sarasota County Hundred Club 3148-A South Gate Circle Sarasota, FL 34239 (941) 953-5383 Limited to Sarasota County. Provides immediate financial assistance and scholarships as needed. The Hundred Club of South Palm Beach County 201 N. Federal Highway, Suite 114 Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 (954) 420-5599 Serves Boca Raton area. Provides immediate financial assistance. The 100 Club of St. Lucie County 1850 Fountainview Boulevard Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 (561) 340-3500 Club helps family members with hotel accommodations, meals and travel to and from the hospital. Gold Shield Foundation PO Box 271791 Tampa, Fla. 33688 (813) 969-0417 Covers Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. Provides immediate cash assistance to families. Provides tuition, room and board, and books for dependent children and spouse enrolled in a program leading toward an undergraduate degree.



Education	Training courses are available from the Florida State Fire College. Additionally, the Fire College offers free training for volunteers annually. Contact: Florida State Fire College. 11655 NW Gainesville Rd., Ocala, FL 34482-1486. Phone: (352) 369-2800.



Workers Compensation	With regards to workers' compensation, volunteer firefighters responding to or assisting with fire or medical emergencies are considered employees of the municipality. Volunteers injured in the line-of-duty receive two-thirds of their average weekly wages from regular employment up to 700 weeks or for the duration of the disability.



Funding	The State Fire Marshal Scholarship Grant Program provides scholarships for the State Fire College to firefighters with financial need. Contact: Division of State Fire Marshal. 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399, (850) 413-3170.



Health	By state statute, each fire department with more than 20 firefighters must develop a workplace health and safety committee to improve the welfare of its members.



Legal	N/A



Malpractice	The Good Samaritan law provides immunity for emergency responders from liability for damages incurred in good faith, except in cases of reckless disregard for the consequences.



Retirement	Volunteer firefighters are eligible to participate in the Firefighters' Pension Trust Fund. At age 55 and 10 years of creditable service as a firefighter or age 52 and 25 years creditable service, the volunteer is eligible for pension benefits. The monthly retirement income payable to a volunteer is an amount equal to the number of years of credited service multiplied by 2 percent of the volunteer's average final compensation. Average final compensation for a volunteer is the average salary of the five best years of the last ten years of credited service.



Tax	None.



Additional	Volunteer firefighters are eligible for special license plates. The annual fee of $20 for these plates goes to Florida Firefighters Charities.

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