Boston Council Advances Home Rule Petition for Widow of Firefighter Killed on Duty

BOSTON — July 26, 2024 — Boston City Council committee moves to correct death benefits for widow of fallen firefighter Anthony Thompson. The Committee on Government Operations, chaired by Councillor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, held a hearing July 26 on Docket 1125, a home rule petition to reclassify the benefits of Pamela Thompson, whose husband served the Boston Fire Department for 35 years before dying of occupational cancer in March 2020. Lead sponsor Councillor Enrique J. Pepén and co-sponsor Councillor Edward M. Flynn argued that Thompson has for four years received a lower accidental death benefit despite a finding by three independent bodies — including the Boston Retirement Board — that Anthony Thompson died as a direct result of hazards encountered in the performance of duty. If enacted by the council, mayor, and state legislature, Pamela Thompson would receive a full line-of-duty pension under Chapter 32, Section 100, plus a lump-sum return of her husband's annuity contributions, replacing the current 72-percent benefit. A companion provision under Chapter 31, Section 26 would also give the couple's son Jared preferential access to a firefighter appointment.