Sharon Purdy’s husband, Lee, died of a heart attack in the line of duty. Sharon was at the fire and actually ran the code on her husband. She used her experience with loss to advocate for other survivors and Fire Hero families. As a result of her and others efforts, the Hometown Heroes program expanded in 2003 to provide benefits to survivors of public safety officers who suffer fatal heart attacks or strokes in the line of duty.
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This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement 2020-PS-DX-K001, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions on this site are those of the participants and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.