When a Police Chief is Killed with a Pregnant Wife, Who Helps Pay the Bills Longterm?

FROM https://www.facebook.com/CrisisCoaching/
Crisis Coaching Global Community Forum 5-12-2017 3:35pm PST

No matter your thoughts about police, this story may make your heart skip a beat:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/12/us/ohio-kirkersville-shooting/ Police chief was killed along with 2 nursing home workers. But get this, if that isn't sad enough - he has SIX KIDS and his wife is expecting their 7th child!

When I have spoken with police here in California, they have told me their union helps with immediate family crisis. But when I ask, "What happens if it is your parents that have the crisis - can you get time off duty 'easily'?" I have had more than a few officers go into a 'shocked expression.' They have told me that at least here, the police union is not helping with parent or special needs siblings issues ...that if they needed to take time off work for an emergency, it creates a domino effect fast and can put other officers at risk when there is a shortage of police in many cities.
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Recently, in Newbury Park, CA, (near Thousand Oaks, if you want to Google Map check it) I spoke with a sheriff. I wondered if they have the same issues. Turns out in that area, the sheriffs are volunteers, not wearing guns. Shortage of cops. So, seniors and elderly or other people who want to and qualify to volunteer, put on the uniform and serve. I haven't checked recently, but in Southern, Ohio, many sheriffs were volunteer there, as well.

My heart breaks for this Chief's widow, though...can you only imagine - in the morning the two of you are looking forward to adding one more kid to your growing family - then just that quick, everything shifts, and she may have urgent financial issues for the long term?

1) As a widow - does she now have to pay out of pocket for the baby's birth - maybe her health insurance, and the coverage for the children, was paid through his union and job. Having a baby in the US is expensive!

2) Will the police union cover the cost of a funeral? What about trauma support for her and her children? If the health insurance may be gone - so might mental health benefits.

3) She can probably collect SSA benefits for her children until they turn 18 - but that is not immediate. It takes time to process.

4) Life insurance - if he has it - only goes so far. Usually in the US you can only buy so much and it is based on income. So, even if he made the average wages for a police chief in Ohio, $92,499-$103,912 [www1.salary.com/…/Cincinna…/Sheriff-Police-Chief-salary.html] - I'm totally guessing on this - but unless he had other policies from some other sort, he probably only had a max of $500,000 in life insurance - and he was in high risk employment - and might not even have that. You can look at the math and figure any life insurance would likely run out within five years. What then? His wife will have seven children in the house --- this parallels the OctoMom or Kate Gosselin trying to work with eight kids. She may have to get very creative fast to figure out how to have the family 'survive.'

The Future: I have no idea what sort of support she had around her - family, friends, other policing families. Sadly, eventually, people get tired of helping. Unfortunately, even Mrs. Disario, may hear, "Good luck with 'that' - when she asks for help from others."

It's the hardest phrase to hear when you really need help.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Disario, if I  or we can help, I/ we will.

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Have a crisis plan in place - you just never know when life will happen while you are on the way to achieving your day to day goals. Even if you are single, your executor / executrix needs money to work with to pay off any outstanding debts, that extra month's rent so your apartment or condo (or house) can be cleared, storage unit fees don't wait for probate to clear....leave money so your estate can be dissolved the way you want it done. This Chief did not get up that day planning to be taken from his family. Most deaths are not planned.

https://www.facebook.com/CrisisCoaching/
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Ohio shooting: Police chief, 2 nursing home workers killed
A gunman on Friday shot and killed a central Ohio village's new police chief -- a father of six who'd been on the job just a few weeks -- in an alley before entering a nursing…
cnn.com