'Supporting Heroes' kicks off with breakfast on 9/11

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

LOUISVILLE — A breakfast on Sept. 11 at The Jefferson Club in downtown Louisville will kick-off a new organization to benefit police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers throughout Kentucky and Indiana .

The new organization, called Supporting Heroes, is modeled after The Backstoppers, an organization that has served police and fire personnel in the Saint Louis area since 1959.  While not directly affiliated with The Backstoppers, Supporting Heroes is attempting to emulate their success and improve on their model. Including EMS workers is one of those improvements.

If there is a line-of-duty death, The Backstoppers, usually within 24-36 hours, gives the primary survivor a check for $3,000 in “emergency funds.”  Within the next few weeks the organization returns to assess the family's financial needs. In most cases the organization ends up paying off all the surviving family's debts and assumes any mortgage payments. The organization also provides long-term support that includes college and other assistance as needed on a case-by-case basis.

"Our goal is to do the same for police, fire, and EMS survivors in Kentucky and Indiana ," said Eric Johnson, the executive director of Supporting Heroes. "We also hope to eventually expand into other states."

"I cannot overemphasize how important this organization will be in support of active-duty public-safety personnel and, in particular, the families of those who fall in the line-of-duty," Johnson said.

Johnson has organized the Sept. 11 breakfast so that the public and public service personnel can learn more about the organization and how it will benefit those who serve in our police, fire, and EMS services. "An organization like Supporting Heroes is long overdue, but it can only succeed through broad support from citizens and public-safety personnel alike."

Reservations are required and must be received no later than 9:00 A.M. on Sept.  8.  There is a $20 per person charge because organization funds cannot be used for the breakfast. Immediate survivors of fallen police, fire, and EMS personnel will not be charged. 

For more information, or to make a reservation, please contact Johnson by e-mail at EricJohnson@SupportingHeroes.org or by phone at (502) 643-2677.

You can learn more from these Internet sites:

• Supporting Heroes: www.SupportingHeroes.org

• The Backstoppers: www.backstoppers.org

• The Jefferson Club: www.thejeffersonclub.com

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