The Front Line Foundation Grants Death Benefit to Family of Red Lake Officer Who Died Responding to a Call for Help

The Front Line Foundation has now paid out $615,000 in death benefits and other support to Minnesota’s First Responders since its’ inception in 2018

MINNEAPOLIS , MN, UNITED STATES, December 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) announced today that it has granted a death benefit to the family of Red Lake Police Officer Jesse Branch, 35, who was killed while on duty responding to a call on the morning of Wednesday, November 27 on State Highway One, east of Red Lake. Branch’s squad collided with another vehicle in the crash. The occupant of the other vehicle, Alan Lussier Jr, was also killed in the collision. Branch, a 17-year veteran of public safety leaves behind a girlfriend and her children.

Branch’s $20,000 death benefit brings the total amount TFLF has paid out to families since its beginnings in 2018 to $615,000. In 2024 alone, TFLF has paid out seven death benefits to the families of first responders who have died on duty. This is the most death benefits TFLF has paid out in one calendar year.

“The dangers of protecting and serving come at a very high price,” said Suzanne Holt, TFLF President and CEO. “Officer Branch put his life on the line for the safety of others and he sadly paid the ultimate price.”

Founded in late 2018, The Front Line Foundation was formed to support 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.

“It is our honor to support our first responders,” said Holt. “Officer Branch made a commitment to public safety, and we are privileged to support his family during this time of sadness and need.”

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 www.thefrontlinemn.org
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