Financial safety nets are in place for employees who die in the line of duty, as Appleton firefighter Mitch Lundgaard did when he was fatally shot during a May 15 medical call at the Valley Transit Center.
Lundgaard's wife, Lindsey, and his three sons, ages 9, 7 and 4, are entitled to federal, state and local death benefits, including a $359,316 payment through the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen told the city's Safety and Licensing Committee that the fire department is working to make sure the Lundgaard family "receives all of the benefits that they are entitled to under many different state and federal organizations that have benefits for public safety officials who die in the line of duty."
In addition to government programs, thousands of people have rallied to assist the Lundgaard family by donating to a variety of fundraisers. The largest of them, a GoFundMe campaign set up by the fire department, has generated more than $217,000 as of Tuesday.