TO:                  All Members                                        August 4, 2003

FROM:            Tom Chamberlain

RE:                   Line of Duty Death and Non-Service Death Benefit Explanation

1. Employer Provided Life Insurance Benefits:  The Labor Agreement between the City of Portland and the PFFA entitles a member to a death benefit of $50,000. The Labor Agreement between the Port of Portland and the PFFA entitles a member to a death benefit of annual salary plus an additional $10,000.

2. Life Insurance Line of Duty Death:  The Labor Agreement between the City of Portland and the PFFA provide the following:  In the event a fire fighter is killed or dies from an injury sustained in the line of duty or dies from an occupational disease incurred at the emergency scene within one month of the incident the City will furnish to his/her heirs the sum of $7,500 to help with funeral costs.

3. Portland Fire Fighters Beneficiary Fund Death Benefits:  The fund provides  active members a death benefit of $2,000. Members may purchase up to $8,000 of additional coverage.

4. Supplemental Term Life:  The City of Portland offers its employees and their spouses the option of purchasing additional term life insurance up to $300,000.

5. Public Safety Officer's Death Benefit:  Fire Fighters who die en-route or at an emergency scene are entitled to a death benefit of $262,100.

6. Medical Benefits:  The Labor Agreement between the City of Portland and the PFFA provides that the City will provide to the spouse and dependent children of a fire fighter who is killed in the line of duty, the same medical, dental and vision benefit plans available to active employees. The city agrees to continue the city contribution for the spouse and dependent child until the spouse reaches age sixty-five or remarries and for each dependent child, until the lesser of age 19, 23 if a full-time student or date of dependent child's marriage.

7. PFPD&RF Death-In The Line of Duty: Spouses or dependents of  plan members are entitled to the following benefits if they are killed in the line of duty or die from an occupation causes:

• The benefit on service-connected or occupational death before retirement shall be 75% of the Member's rate of Base Pay at  death until the earliest date on which the Member would have been eligible for retirement benefits if the Member had survived and continued in service as an Active Member.  After such date, the benefit shall be 50 percent of the Member's Final Pay.
• Funeral benefit equal to one-half of a member's monthly base wage.

8. PERS Death-In the Line of Duty: Active PERS Members are eligible for a death benefit that is equal to 100% of their employee fund balance and matching employer contribution.

9. Sick Leave and Vacation:  The Labor Agreement between the City of Portland and the PFFA entitles the heirs of a member who dies prior to retirement a lump sum cash payment equal to one hundred percent (100%) of unused sick leave and vacation.

10. Worker Compensation Death-In the Line of Duty:  Funeral Benefits up to $5,000. Spousal maximum death benefit $1,928 per month until they remarry. Each dependent child under the age of eighteen will receive a monthly benefit of $289.

11. Social Security:  Dependent children (children up to and including age of 18) and a spouse with dependent children are eligible for Social Security Death Benefits. A member is only entitled to this benefit if the member is currently employed by a Social Security participating employer or the deceased member had previously earned 40 quarters in the Social Security System.  Death benefits vary and are based on member's projected fund balance or current salary.  Qualified Members are also eligible for a $255 funeral benefit.

12. Veteran Benefits:  Burial at any National Cemetery (except Arlington) including plot, head stone, opening and closing of grave site and maintenance.

13. Education Benefits:  Children of fire fighters killed in the line of duty are eligible for four years of state funded undergraduate and four years of graduate school.  This scholarship includes tuition and books at any private or public college in the State of Oregon.  The cost of tuition and books are based on University of Oregon rates.

14. Non-Service Disability Death Benefits

Items 1, 3, 4, 9, 11 & 12 apply to non-service related death benefits.

·        PFPD&RF Member Non-Service Related Death Benefits:  If the member had less than ten years of service, the benefit for non-service-connected death before retirement shall be a lump sum equal to the amount of the member's contribution.  Member's contribution is seven percent of the member's base pay received after June 30, 1990.

·        If a member had ten or more years of service, the benefit for non-service-connected death before retirement shall be a benefit equal to fifty percent of 2.6% time's number of years worked based on the member's final salary.  (Example:  If the member worked 10 years with a final salary of $60,000, the benefit would be calculated as follows:  2.6% x 10 = 26%.  26% of $60,000 is $15,600.  50% of $15,600 = $7,800).

§         Eligibility:  Dependent children (unmarried children under the age of eighteen). A spouse who has reached age fifty-five.