Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program
Claims Process for Line-of-Duty Deaths

1. Immediately after the fatality. The department must.

1. Notify the family.

2. Secure the scene.

3. Begin an investigation of the incident.

4. Make arrangements for an autopsy.

5. Identify a department member to serve as a liaison between the department and the PSOB office.

2. Immediately after being named the department's liaison. The liaison must.

1. Call PSOB at 1-888-744-6513.

2. Provide accurate, up-to-date information including these items:

· Fire department name.

· Liaison's name.

· Phone numbers for the department and the liaison.

· A fax number or mailing address so PSOB can send the Claim Initiation Letter

· Deceased firefighter's name.

· Date of the incident and death.

· A brief description of the incident.

Relay the information very carefully and relay only what you know. Do not speculate on the cause of death if you do not know it.

If you need to notify PSOB on an evening or a weekend, leave a message. Be sure to include all the above information.

3. PSOB responds. PSOB will fax or mail its Claim Initiation Letter to the department liaison as soon as possible after receiving the call.
4. The department liaison completes the Information. The liaison must complete and return the needed information to PSOB immediately. This information is vital. In describing the incident, the liaison needs to provide as much detail as possible but not speculate if the cause of death is not known.
5. PSOB then sends a package to the department liaison. This package includes three items:

1. A guidance letter explaining claim documentation requirements.

2. A form, Report of Public Safety Officer's Death, that the department must complete.

3. A form, Claim for Death Benefit, that the surviving spouse, children or parents must complete.

6. The department liaison needs to. 1. Complete the form, Report of Public Safety Officer's Death.

2. Make sure the family gets the other form, Claim for Death Benefit.

3. Offer assistance to the family in completing the form. Explain to the family that PSOB will return all the required original documents (birth certificate, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, etc.).

4. Assure that the family provides a certified death notice, not a copy.

5. Submit both completed forms and all supporting documents to PSOB as soon as possible.

7. The PSOB specialist receives the claim package and . 1. Reviews the package and prepares a determination.

2. Contacts the department liaison if further information is needed.

3. Submits unresolved medical questions to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

4. Submits written determination to the Department of Justice's Office of General Counsel for concurrence.

8. If more information is needed. The PSOB Specialist will:

1. Contact the department or family for more information.

2. Meet with General Counsel staff to review any new information provided.

9. When PSOB approves the claim . The PSOB Specialist will:

1. Send a letter to the next-of-kin notifying them of the approval of the claim.

2. Send a check to the eligible next-of-kin.

10. When PSOB denies the claim. The PSOB Specialist will:

1. Send a letter to the next-of-kin notifying them of the denial of the claim.

2. Provide more information on the appeals process.