Agenda Item Request
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Discussion on how to proceed if placed in the unfortunate position of supporting a Line of Duty Death (LODD) funeral.
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Background and Purpose of Request
Being nationally accredited requires the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office to continually update our policies. In 2023, Lieutenant Don Foss and I attended a County Commissioners’ workshop and requested a recurring budget line that could be utilized in the unthinkable event of a Line of Duty Death (LODD). Although we hope to never experience a LODD, we have now seen five (5) first responders who have died in the line of duty over the last eight (8) years in Maine, making this very real possibility a priority.
At the aforementioned workshop, I was encouraged to see if the Maine County Commissioner Risk Pool would pay for any funeral expenses. After much effort, I received an answer earlier this year from the Maine County Commissioners Risk Pool; they felt my question was best answered at the individual county level. Therefore, I would like to revisit this issue at the Cumberland County Commissioner level. This is an issue that will never go away and I prefer not to wait for a tragic event to occur to discuss this. A LODD can occur in both the law enforcement field and the corrections field, so we must consider both departments.
I contacted two (2) Sheriffs, a Lieutenant from Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (Game Warden), and the Colonel of the Maine State Police, all of which have had recent experience in planning a funeral for members of their agency. I found that the costs of the LODD funerals and how the services were paid for were different.
Somerset County, Corporal Eugene Cole - LODD April 25th, 2018
The funeral director services, cremation, and cremation vase were provided at no cost. The funeral home advised that because it was a line of duty death, costs were covered through a first responder agreement. I am not aware of the “first responder agreement” mentioned by Sheriff D...
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