The Front Line Foundation to memorialize a MN First Responder

Daughters of fallen first responder will receive benefit check at a ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, July 18 at SPFD Headquarters

MINNEAPOLIS, July 17, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) announced today that it has given a $20,000 death benefit to the family of St. Paul Firefighter Chris Parsons of Minneapolis, who was killed in the line of duty on June 15 from a cardiac arrest caused by working conditions that day. He was 48.

On Tuesday, July 18, TFLF President and CEO, Suzanne Holt and board member Judy Smith Thill, Fire Chief, Inver Grove Heights will present Parsons' daughters, Annika and Kaya, with a death benefit of $20,000 to help the family in their time of loss and need. The check presentation will take place at 10AM at the St. Paul Fire Department Headquarters, at 645 Randolph Avenue in St. Paul. 

Since its inception in late 2018, TFLF has supported Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs and members of the National Guard across Minnesota, to grant financial support to families of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The Foundation's mission is to bridge the gap between the death and benefits being paid, which can help families with ongoing expenses. The Foundation also provides support in the purchase of tactical equipment for first responders which is not included in department budgets. To date, The Frontline Foundation has paid out $368,000 in death benefits and equipment funding since it was founded in 2018.

"Chris was so young and revered by his fellow firefighters," said Holt. "His untimely death is another example of the sacrifices our first responders make to protect us. We hope that this benefit will provide some small support as they endure a large loss."

Parsons was a 22-year veteran of the SPFD and was a champion for public policy that improved public health and safety. His work did not go unnoticed as he was honored by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz by having all flags lowered to half-staff on June 19. Parsons worked at Station 22 at Front Avenue and Marion Street in the city's North End. He was formerly president of Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters and Local 21 secretary.

"Because of the continuous and generous support of our donors we are able to make these timely gifts to the families of the fallen," said Holt. "Chris did so much during his career to ensure our safety. We hope that this support will show his daughters how appreciated he was."

About The Front Line Foundation:
The Front Line Foundation began as an attempt to help and support our Fallen Heroes, including Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, and the Minnesota National Guard. The Frontline Foundation provides support to those who died while in the line of duty, by giving benefit payments to dependents of fallen first responders. Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and EMT First Responders face armed and dangerous criminals, impaired individuals wielding weapons, even emotionally charged, and threatening domestic disputes. They are The Front Line Defenders of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities who face and diffuse the high-risk, frequently appalling situations we know or hear about, with disbelief, on the news. In addition to providing endowments and support for the families of fallen heroes, The Front Line Foundation will underwrite scholarships and training registration costs for Front Line personnel as well as support preparedness training for safety officers in hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Further, we assist with the purchase of needed safety and tactical equipment not currently within the budget of the local unit of government.  For more information, please visit http://www.thefrontlinemn.org

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Media Contact

Robb Leer, Leer Communication and Consultants, 6127010608, robbl@leercommunication.com

SOURCE Front Line Foundation