# Title 18 — Fires

## Chapter 18-05.1 — Firefighters Death Benefits

### § 18-05.1-01. Payments to deceased firefighter's survivor.

The firefighters death benefit fund is a special fund in the state treasury. The revenue
provided in section 26.1-03-17 must be deposited in the fund and is appropriated on a
continuing basis to the insurance commissioner for disbursement as provided in this chapter.
The insurance commissioner shall administer the fund.
### § 18-05.1-02. Payments from firefighters death benefit fund.

The insurance commissioner shall pay twenty-five thousand dollars to a deceased
firefighter's survivor upon receipt of a request for payment and evidence of a line of duty death
from the fire chief or the fire chief's designee of a city fire department, rural fire department, or
rural fire protection district.
### § 18-05.1-03. Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter:
1. "Firefighter" means an individual who is a member of a paid or volunteer fire
department that is a part of or is administered by this state, any political subdivision of
this state, or a rural fire protection district.
2. "Line of duty death" means a death that was due to an injury sustained while
performing firefighter duties if the death occurred within forty-eight hours of
participating in an emergency response or training event. Death from a heart attack or
stroke is deemed to be a line of duty death if it occurs within forty-eight hours of an
emergency response or training event.
3. "Survivor" means the spouse of a deceased firefighter who died in the line of duty. If
there is no spouse, the term means the individual designated in writing by the
deceased firefighter as beneficiary of the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Act [42 U.S.C.
3796 et seq.] death benefit, or if no beneficiary is designated, the deceased
firefighter's estate.
