The Palm Beach Post
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Pine was killed in February 2014 after he was ambushed while chasing a car thief.
If that tragedy was not enough to bare, Pine’s wife and three small children were left with the prospect of little monetary support and a bleak financial future.
Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation Monday at Palm Beach County Sheriff’s headquarters on Gun Club Road that will keep that scenario from taking place again.
The bill — SB 7012 — will give 100 percent of the monthly salary earned by deceased first responders to spouses for their lifetime. Currently, survivors are eligible for 50 percent of the monthly salary.
The legislation is retroactive to July 2013 and applies to police, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers and others who are enrolled in the state retirement system and lose their lives in the line of duty.
“This right here is going to be a game-changer without a doubt,” PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. “This will enable (survivors) to have some sort of comfort level that the rest of their lives will not be as devastating as it was in the first minutes.”
The Officer Down Memorial Page lists 128 police officers killed in the U.S. while on duty during 2015. The National Fire Protection Association reports 64 firefighters died in 2014, the most recent year where statistics are available.
During the news conference at PBSO, Scott referred to the death of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy John Kotfila who was killed March 12 by a wrong-way driver in Tampa. Scott said that Kotfila had purposely placed his patrol car in the path of the wrong-way driver before it could smash into another vehicle.
“Our law enforcement officers put their lives at risk each and every day,” Scott said. “SB 7012 is going to make sure our law enforcement is being taken care of in case the worst thing happens…"
Bradshaw said the new law will keep the family of fallen officers from being victimized twice.
“The initial blow to the family is that they just lost a loved one,” Bradshaw said. “But after that wears off, the second blow to the family is that monetarily, they have no income anymore and their benefits are significantly reduced.
“What this bill does is lessen that second shock. The state says, ‘They gave their life in the performance of their duty….and now we’re going to take care of you and your immediate family members. It’s the right thing to do.”
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