FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BJA
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2001 202/307-0703
BENEFITS AWARDED TO FAMILIES OF PUBLIC
SAFETY OFFICERS KILLED IN WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department
today announced that it has begun approving death benefit claims for the
families of public safety officers –
firefighters, police, EMT’s – who died in the World Trade Center attack on
September 11. Within 60 days of
receiving the first claim, the Department of Treasury paid the one-time
financial award to the first 150 families.
The awards, totaling $37.5
million, are provided by the Justice Department’s Public Safety Officers’
Benefits (PSOB) program.
As a result of the recent enactment of the
USA PATRIOT bill, each eligible family will receive a tax exempt benefit
payment of $250,000 -- an increase of nearly $100,000 over the previous award
level. In addition, eligible survivors
can qualify for educational assistance through the Public Safety Officers’
Educational Assistance Program (PSOEA).
“The
World Trade Center tragedy was a moment of indefinable horror and grief for
this
nation, but it was also a day of uncommon valor, ” said Attorney
General John Ashcroft. “I am pleased
that we are providing, as quickly as possible,
a small measure of relief to the families of these heroes.”
President Bush directed the Department of
Justice to expedite the processing of payments to the families of public safety
officers killed at the World Trade Center.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Department of
Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administers the death benefits
program. The approved claims are the
first of about 400 expected to be received by BJA.
“Every one of us has been changed forever
by this horrible tragedy,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Deborah J.
Daniels. “In the aftermath of this
unprecedented loss of public safety officers,
I am grateful that we are able to provide accelerated assistance so that
these families can begin to rebuild their lives.”
The PSOB program provides benefits to
individuals serving a public safety agency in an official capacity, on a paid
or volunteer basis. This includes, but
is not limited to, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical
technicians, ambulance crew members, and corrections officers.
Additional information about OJP or its
programs can be found on its Internet Website at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
Specific information regarding the PSOB program can be found at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bja.
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For additional information, contact Charles Miller at 202/514-2007.