Firefighter Deaths Raise Concern about Disaster Coverage

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefThe June 30 deaths of 19 members of an Arizona wildland firefighting crew has led to a national discussion about the risks of workers’ compensation coverage for specialized public safety teams, according to the city attorney where the firefighters were based.Prescott City Attorney Jon Paladini said the city’s insurer told him the deaths have served as a “wakeup call” to the insurance industry about the possibility of mass-casualties caused by national disasters. “Information we’ve received in talking to our folks at the ris...