Firefighter Tragedy Benefits Controversy

The nation mourned the deaths of 19 firefighters in Arizona in June. Now a controversy has arisen over the payments some of the families will receive based on the firefighters' employment status at the time of the fire. Drawn from Row Simmers Over Death Benefits for Arizona 'Hotshot' Firefighters Reuters, August 7, 2013
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. fickle
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    PHOENIX — Nineteen members of an Arizona hotshot firefighting crew killed by a fickle wildfire all shared the same risks, but the widow of one is complaining that a two-tier compensation system meant her young family would be denied full survivor benefits.
  2. compensation
    the act of making amends for service, loss, or injury
    Since their deaths, a political fight has emerged over a system of compensation for survivors in which benefits for next-of-kin will depend on whether a firefighter was considered a full-time or seasonal employee.
  3. engulf
    flow over or cover completely
    They were engulfed by wind-whipped flames in seconds as they tried to extinguish a blaze that forced evacuations and destroyed scores of homes in and around the tiny town of Yarnell.
  4. next of kin
    the person who is most closely related to a given person
    But while dependents of six full-time firefighters will get additional financial benefits and lifetime health insurance from the city, the next-of-kin of 13 others deemed seasonal workers are not entitled to such help.
  5. dependent
    a person who relies on another person for support
    All dependents of the deceased members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots will receive a federal payment of $328,000.
  6. deem
    judge or regard in a particular way
    But while dependents of six full-time firefighters will get additional financial benefits and lifetime health insurance from the city, the next-of-kin of 13 others deemed seasonal workers are not entitled to such help.
  7. posthumously
    after death
    He said the city was unable to reclassify the 13 seasonal firefighters posthumously as full-time employees.
  8. retroactive
    having an effect on events that occurred previously
    House Speaker Andy Tobin is drafting retroactive measures to give full benefits to any responder who dies in the line of duty on state lands - among them the Hotshots, who were trapped when the lightning-sparked Yarnell Hill Fire suddenly changed direction.
  9. comprehend
    get the meaning of something
    "Everybody was just surprised ... they couldn't fully comprehend the shortfall of the part-timer benefit package," Tobin told Reuters.
  10. bipartisan
    supported by both sides
    While the bill, which would qualify survivors such as Juliann Ashcraft for full benefits including life insurance and health care, is at an early stage, Tobin said it had bipartisan support in the Arizona legislature.
  11. pension
    regular payment to allow a person to subsist without working
    A second bill that Tobin, a Republican, is working on would ensure that the state covers the costs of the death-related pensions provided by Prescott, a small city of about 40,000 residents.
Created on Wed Aug 07 21:27:16 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Aug 07 21:38:33 EDT 2013)

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