The Yarnell Hill Fire claimed 19 people employed by the state of Arizona who were battling the blaze. Of those, only six of the 11 families of the firefighters were eligible for the state life insurance, pension benefits, and survivor benefits. The other 5 were part-time, ineligible to enroll in many of the state?s programs, and they have received private donations and some federal benefits which pale in comparison to the federal benefits combine with those of the state. The discrepancy has not gone unnoticed, and the Arizona legislature has debated the topic twice during legislative interim. Both Democrats and Republicans are backing proposals to ?[right] the wrongs and [assure] it doesn?t happen in the future.?
See "Arizona may rethink part-time benefits for public safety employees", Alia Beard Rau, AZcentral.com, October 17, 2013