The Need

The events of September 11, 2001, remind us of the extraordinary, daily sacrifices made by emergency first responders and public safety personnel.  These individuals selflessly devote their lives to serving their communities and are prepared to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty.  Paradoxically, an overwhelmingly large number of first responders do not have even simple estate plans.  Despite the minute-by-minute, day-to-day risks they face, approximately 80-90% of first responders do not have a Will.  (This figure is based only on experiential data and feedback from first responder organizations such as the 100 Club of Arizona.  We are unaware of any agency or organization that does or can track this type of information.) Understanding this dynamic requires some understanding of the first responder psyche. 

For many, thinking about and executing a Will is surrendering to the inevitable.  It is an uncomfortable reminder and realization of the imminent dangers of their jobs and mortality.  The relatively low number of first responders with Wills also speaks to the selflessness of first responders; the very nature of their profession is to think of others first, to put the good of the community before themselves.  Former Tucson Police Department commander and current 100 Club of Arizona Vice President Bob Easton put it best when he recently said, “It’s kind of like NASCAR drivers who never go to the hospital.” Like professional racecar drivers who avoid going to the hospital to protect their self-confidence, avoiding the thought of ‘what happens if I die’ is, for many first responders, an occupational necessity.

The Program

Wills for Heroes is unlike many other clinic or pro bono programs because we bring the program to the first responders’ doorstep.  Working with department coordinators, Wills for Heroes provides this free service by bringing together the first responder with attorneys, laptop computers, witnesses and notaries at a department station, training facility or headquarters on a predetermined Saturday.  The department’s sole responsibilities are to provide the meeting space and coordinate the appointments.  Although some unions and employee organizations offer free or reduced fee estate planning services, no service like Wills for Heroes exists in the U.S.

In advance of the Wills for Heroes event, participants download and complete an estate planning questionnaire.  By receiving the questionnaire ahead of time, participants are able to think through a number of important decisions and discuss them with their spouse, partner, or other trusted friends.

Upon arrival at the Wills for Heroes event, the first responder signs in and reads and executes a disclaimer.  The participant is assigned to an attorney who examines the questionnaire and inputs the information into laptops loaded with the document assembly software platform HotDocs® by LexisNexis.  The attorney reviews the draft estate planning documents with the first responder participant to ensure that they fully understand and agree to what they are executing.  After the document is explained and any corrections made, the documents are signed, witnessed and notarized in a formal signing ceremony.  On average, the first responder walks out with their estate planning documents in one hour.

The Wills for Heroes participant keeps the original estate planning documents and their estate planning questionnaire.  The Wills for Heroes program does not keep a copy of the participant’s documents or information.

For more information please visit the Wills for Heroes Foundation Website.

Posted by Linda Gaume on 09/07 at 08:08 AM