Executive Director Jim Pasco spoke with officials at the White House regarding the Administration’s activities to combat the coronavirus, with a particular emphasis on getting the presumptions in place for COVID-19-related death benefits filed with the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. The FOP would like to thank the offices of the President and the Attorney General, as we are cautiously optimistic that we’ll get a positive response in the near future.
COVID-19 Activity Updates
Executive Director Jim Pasco had continued the interaction with officials at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in regards to the coronavirus-related workers’ compensation issues. The principal action appears to be at the state level.
Executive Director Jim Pasco had an informational exchange with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Public Health Service in regards to personal protective equipment (PPE).
Phil Keith, Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), sent the following letter to all FOP members to inform them of the adjustments being made to confront COVID-19 work-related issues, grant-related challenges and communications with law enforcement first responders and stakeholders. Additionally, Director Keith provides a brief update on the work of the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. To view the letter, please click here.
National President Patrick Yoes sent a letter to Attorney General William P. Barr requesting his help and guidance as it pertains to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. To view the letter, please click here.
National President Patrick Yoes announced that the FOP has launched its new COVID-19 website. This new website will contain comprehensive COVID-19 information to ensure that the men and women of law enforcement are equipped with the most accurate and up-to-date information to help them protect and serve their communities amidst the national pandemic. To view the website, please visit FOPcovid19.org. To view President Yoes’ announcement, please click here.
National President Patrick Yoes, along with Linda Hennie, National President of the National FOP Auxiliary; Marcia Ferranto, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund; and Dianne Bernhard, Executive Director of the Concerns of Police Survivors, announced that a decision was made to honor our current fallen officers alongside those who will be honored during the traditional National Police Week events in 2021. To view the statement, please click here.
National President Patrick Yoes sent an email to all FOP State Lodge presidents, informing them that the National FOP has been working with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor to get presumptions in place for death benefits filed with the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program and with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. National President Yoes asked that all State Lodges forward any information regarding states that have enacted such presumptions by executive order, legislative action or other regulatory means to Michelle Mason (mmason@fop.net). The National FOP Legislative Office will be collecting information on states where such action is “in the works” and establishing a database. The office will work with all of our State Lodge presidents to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
National President Patrick Yoes penned an open letter to our nation’s governors, urging them to establish a presumption that law enforcement officers who contract COVID-19 did so in the line of duty. To view the letter, please click here.
Executive Director Jim Pasco spoke with various administration officials regarding numerous elements of the Phase 3 stimulus package.
Executive Director Jim Pasco spoke with Andrew Kilberg, Counselor to U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia, regarding continued conversation on coronavirus-related workers’ compensation issues.
National President Patrick Yoes and Executive Director Jim Pasco joined other state and local law enforcement leaders on a conference call, hosted by top officials with the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and included officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and White House staff, to discuss officer safety issues posed by the coronavirus pandemic. National President Yoes forcefully made a case for the immediate distribution of vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to law enforcement officers on the front lines of the pandemic response. He also insisted that law enforcement officers who contract the virus be presumed to have done so in the line of duty assuring that they would be eligible for any benefits administered by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP).
