The Brent Hatcher Benevolent Fund is a fund for active firefighters, ensuring that surviving families will receive $1,000 in the event of your death or the death of a member firefighter. Cost is $20 per year; membership year runs January 1 to December 31. This is a great way for locals or auxiliaries to provide for fellow members of the fire service family. Click on the link below and apply today.

Brent Hatcher Benevolent Fund

New members receive a FREE t-shirt! Join today and get yours!

Remember Brent and become a member

By Les Foughty
OSFA Past President

Brent Hatcher was a Wayne, Oklahoma volunteer firefighter. He was only 37 years old when he died from being crushed between two fire apparatus while preparing to respond to a grass fire.

The OSFA board at the time went to pay their respects and found that the family could not afford to buy him a suit to be buried in. Brent left behind a wife and three small children.

The board and others took up a collection to help the family out with expenses. They knew that when fellow firefighters saw a need, they always would “pass the hat” to give to a fellow firefighter.  On the ride home, the idea for the Brent Hatcher Benevolent Fund was hatched.

In 1996, a committee was formed and the BHBF was developed. In 1997, the BHBF was presented to the members at the OSFA convention and passed.

The idea was that there was an average of 10 firefighters who die each year. There are approximately 10,800 firefighters in the OSFA,  and if each member gave only $2, there could be a check for over $20,000 dollars given to each of the fallen firefighters families.

The check would be delivered in the first 72 hours after the death of an active OSFA member,  who was enrolled in the BHBF.

Creating this fund was the best way that would allow every firefighter in Oklahoma a way to give to a fellow brother or sister firefighter and ease their families financial burden if the worst case scenario were to happen.

Membership has been slow to participate and the roster has peaked at around 300 last year. This year, the renewals are at about 74 members and growing.

This is not an insurance policy for the members to receive, but it is a way for members to give to another of our own.

For just $20 annually, you can “pass the hat” in advance, and give.  Since its inception, the OSFA has voted to make up the difference so that the minimum at this time is $1,000 dollars. There have been seven members receive this benefit since the fund was started. 

There have been many more active firefighters die who were not members of the fund in the last 14 years.  With your help, this can be such a more meaningful benefit and a way that we can take care of our own.

Please take this opportunity to join for the first time or renew your membership if you have not yet done so.  It is not too late in the year. The membership starts in January and runs through December.

You still have a chance to possibly help someone this year. Remember Brent Hatcher and be a member.