July 11, 2012
Firefighters are being hailed as heroes across Colorado for their efforts in battling recent wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of property in Waldo Canyon and other areas across the state. Yet, most of the individuals who put their lives on the line do not receive any kind of health or life insurance that would offer them Denver Workers’ Compensation benefits if they were to be injured.
The reason that they don’t receive any kind of coverage is because they are considered to be seasonal, part-time employees and only full-time employees receive benefits such as health insurance.
According to an article released by 9 News, President Obama has recognized the needs for a solution to this problem after a recent visit to the ravaged section of Colorado Springs and has ordered officials to offer seasonal wildfire firefighters a federal insurance package.
In the days following the President’s order, Representative Diana DeGette has introduced a bill into Congress that would offer life and health insurance to seasonal firefighters as long as they work for a federal agency, such as the US Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.
The move has been justified by the fact that these seasonal workers often work the same number of hours as full-time firefighters.
The Denver Personal Injury Lawyers of McDivitt Law say that the measure has the potential to change thousands of lives for the better.
