GROUP FORMS TO HELP FAMILIES OF POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS KILLED ON JOB

Police and firefighters in Cape Girardeau County are getting backup support.

A group of community leaders met Wednesday to take the first steps in establishing the Guardians, which aims to meet financial needs of officers' and firefighters' families if they die on duty.

Formation of the group was sparked by auto dealer Bob Neff following a motel shootout that injured two policemen in February.

"We've all been involved in a lot of worthwhile organizations," said Neff, president of the Guardians' board. "But this is the first where we'll be creating one for our own community."

Neff had been discussing the idea with the executive director of the Backstoppers, a St. Louis group that has raised millions of dollars for police and firefighters' families since 1959.

When a death on duty occurs, the Guardians would provide a check for a few thousand dollars immediately. After a family has recovered from its initial shock, Guardian members would meet with the family to assess its debts.

"Whatever they've got at the time, we'd take a snapshot of their debts and try to wipe the slate clean," Neff said.

Based on St. Louis group

In St. Louis, the Backstoppers have traditionally paid off home mortgages, or if property was rented, six years of payments following the death.

Annual stipends of $2,000 for each school-age child are provided, as well as loans or grants for higher education.

"We should use what they do in St. Louis for a guide as far as amounts, but figure out for ourselves if a situation comes up," said Mike Kohlfeld, a board member.

Volunteer firefighters and auxiliary law enforcement officers would be included by the Guardians.

"One of the last officers that was killed in Cape was a volunteer," said board member Charles Hutson, referring to Herbert Goss, who died in a 1961 shootout.

Neff had looked into including federal law enforcement agents and members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, but he said he was told assistance programs already exist.

What the Guardians plan to offer would be a great improvement on current death benefits, board member Rick Hetzel said. The city of Cape Girardeau offers an insurance policy that pays beneficiaries the person's annual salary once. Officers or firefighters must purchase any additional insurance themselves, he said.

The initial 12 Guardian members have pledged $1,000 each, and plan to recruit other members from the area. A man from Sikeston, Mo., has already pledged his support, Neff said, even though the Guardians will limit their services for now to families of firefighters and officers in Cape Girardeau County.

Other members of the Guardians' board are: Ken Dobbins, Dave Feuerhahn, Ben Lewis, Dennis Marchi, John Mehner, Pat Ruopp, Rex Rust and Don Zimmer.