What to do when a Firefighters First account holder dies

Processing timelines at Firefighters First: POD accounts: typically processed within days of document verification. Joint accounts: surviving owner retains immediate access. Trust accounts: processed upon successor trustee verification. Estate/probate accounts: varies based on state probate timeline, often several weeks to months. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.

Firefighters First requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (obtained from funeral home or office of vital records), Government-issued photo ID for claimant (beneficiary, trustee, or executor), and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.

Firefighters First's Member Services - Death Notification can be reached by phone at 1-800-231-1626, email at onlinehelp@firefirstcu.org, and fax at 1-323-550-2231 for questions throughout the claims process.

When the deceased had multiple Firefighters First accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Trust Services (Members Trust Company) can clarify what's needed for each account type.