Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program

The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program provides federal financial and education benefits to the families of fire fighters who die in the line of duty, as well as disability benefits to fire fighters who are catastrophically injured on the job.

For more than 50 years, occupational cancer – the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service – was not recognized under the PSOB program. Families of fire fighters who died from job-related cancer were denied federal death and education benefits, even when the connection to the job was clear.

The IAFF led the effort to change that.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, signed into law by President Trump, now recognizes occupational cancer as a line-of-duty death under PSOB. This change ensures surviving families will be eligible for the same federal benefits as those who lose a loved one to a traumatic injury or other covered line-of-duty causes.

While additional federal implementation steps still need to be completed and the cancer provisions are not yet in effect, members and families are encouraged to review the information below.

Eligibility depends on meeting federal PSOB requirements related to:

PSOB claims are submitted through the United States Department of Justice and typically require information from both the surviving family and the employing department.

The IAFF can assist families and affiliates in understanding eligibility and navigating the PSOB process.