Socks, there are three GoFundMe accounts open for donations for that firefighters family. One initiated by CB, $338,857 reached of $500,000 goal. Another By GG, $2,535 of $25,000 goal. JJ: $19,947 of $100,000 goal.

There looks like there are several set up for him and his family.

https://www.google.com/search?ei=3Ks2WrrDKcOkmwHayoqIBw&q=Cory+Iverson+go+fund+me&oq=Cory+Iverson+go+fund+me&gs_l=psy-ab.3...14214.18997.0.21274.11.11.0.0.0.0.66.613.11.11.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.59...0i3k1.0.FmLv0iCHgFU

Seems like fireman would have excellent benefits, pension, and life insurance. Why does the family need all this money?

Thanks, sherry. Angela, You cannot over-thank someone’s family whose loved one gave his life to help others.

We cannot personally go fight the fire, but we must support those who do.

He died helping people like us. He had a young child and a pregnant wife. Money will allow them to grieve without worrying about finances. Seems the least we can do.

Pensions for public servants are often meager especially if there have been less than several decades of service. Nurses, teachers, firefighters all often receive pensions that are barely adequate, and some states have enacted rules that reduce social security benefits to those who have such pensions.

This is heartbreaking and the ultimate sacrafice, I agree, offering some financial help is the least anyone can do. I also saw a story a couple of weeks ago about a Fire Captain who’s family had to flee their home with only the clothes on their backs. They’re home burned to the ground while he was out fighting the fires elsewhere. The fire was jumping in the winds, so many homes in the neighborhood weren’t touched at all.

Such a tragedy for so many. According to an article ----- At least 40 Bay Area firefighters have lost their homes in the Santa Rosa, Napa and Sonoma firestorm.

I agree with angela id. It's a sad story but public safety officers are killed in the line of duty every day and all understand that their jobs entail danger. I'm sympathetic to the sentiment but every such tragedy doesn't suggest the need for a public stampede for a Go Fund Me account.

How about a Go Fund Me account for the school principal who had a heart attack while under job stress because his/her budget was being cut? There's no end to these situations.

There are active duty soldiers fighting fires too. The Department of Defense has assigned 200 active duty soldiers to the front lines.

Brushworks, it's far more than 200. But that's a case of all those poor servicemembers being put in risk of life and limb for no good reason. They all should come home as far as I'm concerned.

Elmer, thanks for the correction. Besides the 200 active duty I mentioned, it appears there are thousands of reserve and national guard units on the front lines.

Oh gosh Irma! I had no idea! I just saw the one in a news report; the sacrafices are incredible. Elmer, I think today I’m just going to put you on ignore.

There's no end to these situations.

And, fortunately, no end to the kindness of goodhearted people towards those in need of contributions or comforting, even to those they do not know.

Yes, give when you can and not when you can't. And, be quiet about it.

Some of you have missed what I was saying.

Any death in the line of duty of someone working for public safety is a double tragedy but my point being that someone's personal feel good effort about any particular one diminishes the impact of each of the others. It's a shame but a regular occurrence all the same.

A quick look around led me to learning there have been 9 firefighter and 12 police line of duty deaths just since November 1, 2017. Should we give $50 for each one? $100 would be better. It's hundreds of human deaths annually if you total both occupations. Do most of you have enough money to do that? Are some important and others not? Some heroic (and so they deserve money) but others not? To me, they're all of equal importance and all equally sad. But Go Fund Me campaigns are misplaced and selectively incomplete feel-good efforts, in my opinion.

That's what I was saying.

Elmer, there's nothing wrong about giving to a feel-good campaign. And there are go fund accounts set up for that school principal who died from a heart attack. Those events go unseen by the national public but not locally. I like seeing people come together and help their fellow man.

Concerning active duty personnel being sent to fight wildfires...!!!!!????? THATS freaking crazy and dangerous. Soldiers are trained for a certain job, most not in firefighting. When my daughter was stationed at Bragg, during Hurricane Matthew, she was sent in as support during the floods. One day she had to threaten to get out of the truck she was riding in because the driver was getting ready to go into high waters. He didn't after her argument. They had no business out doing what tgey were doing.

ETA sorry I'm on my phone, hope I made sense! lol

So in other words, since we cannot give to ALL, we should give to NONE. Not in my book.

The wife faces two decades of being a single mother, probably a working mother. California is expensive. She will need all the help she can get from family, friends and financially.

Also incarcerated men and women fight fires all the time (they do volunteer).

That's a shame. I haven't been online or seen much tv the last two days and hadn't heard about this.

A lot of firefighters are also seasonal workers because peak fire season in California is in the summer (at least it used to be) and their services aren't normally needed in the winter. A lot of the personnel fighting the fires down south were laid off recently and called back to go to the fires currently burning. Because they are seasonal, many don't qualify for benefits and don't make high salaries. Whether or not the fire fighter this thread is about was seasonal or full time, I don't know.

The firefighter who was killed had been an employee of Cal Fire since 2009. He was based at a fire station in inland San Diego County. So he apparently was a full time state employee.

Dawn, for the discussion, let's assume there was more tragedy and a part-time seasonal (and presumably less trained) firefighter was also killed in the line of duty. Is that a different case that any of us should feel more or less responsibility for or more or less obligated to help? It's sad for them and for the families concerned just the same but how or why would it be that some deaths are deserving of a contribution campaign while others seemingly aren't?

I don't know what kind of answer you're looking for, Elmer. Yes, there are many tragic deaths. Most of them that I hear of have a contribution campaign associated with them. The more publicity it gets, the more money it gets. That's just how it works. This man made the news because the fires are dominating the news.

People have different empathy triggers. Some for heroes, some for sick kids, some for natural disasters or acts of terrorism.

Whether they deserve it or not is your call. No one has to donate.

"The firefighter who was killed had been an employee of Cal Fire since 2009. He was based at a fire station in inland San Diego County. So he apparently was a full time state employee."

Let's presume this particular firefighter started working for the state at the beginning of January 2009. Since it is now the end of 2017, that would give him only 9 years of State service. Not a tremendous pension no matter how you want to look at it. And, his death most likely falls under Workers' Compensation.

I'm not lacking empathy nor really asking a question, I'm happy to let it go. I was trying to guide some of those offering opinions about what I think is the selectivity of some to follow (not lead) Go Fund Me stampedes to give the situations a bit more critical thought than they seemed to have done.

Elmer, my comment was in response to Angela's question regarding the salary and benefits fire fighters receive. I wasn't entering the discussion about who is or is not deserving of a fundraising campaign.

My intent was simply to provide another possible reason why a fire fighter might not earn a high income or receive benefits such as health insurance, life insurance or a pension.

With all the scams out there, I do not donate to any go fund me's. Sorry, but I'm not that trusting of a person. There's not way to tell which one's are legit.

Linda, I can understand your reasoning. Certainly with some campaigns it’s easier to tell their legitimacy than others. In the case of this fireman, if you read the introduction written by the person who started it she provides information that’s helpful.

I know it’s no longer uncommon, but I still think It’s sad that there are people who would sink so low as to try to benefit from someone else’s loss.

I prefer to find worthy causes right in my own backyard to aid people in need -- people whose needs have been vetted by a small organization that sees the people in person.

A group in our town is called Mothers Trust. We fill in the gaps, funding that 'little bit' that pays for a growing child's new eyeglasses; makes up the deficit for summer camp tuition; pays for uniforms so a student can participate in school athletics, band, or attend a conference. There are other 'big bit' agencies that do more of the heavy lifting; this is personal -- and 'trackable'.

Local groups are the cement of a community, something lacking in clicking a button to OK a donation for a largely anonymous person far away, forming no connection with others.

Please remember, Chisue, for some of us this IS in our backyard.

Wonderrful organization, Mothers Trust. It's gratifying to support an organization when you can see and know of the results.

Since I started the thread, I give myself permission to go off topic. Remember the 19 firefighters killed in AZ a couple years ago? Some were not regular paid firefighters, and their families were denied some or maybe all benefits. There was a fight about it, I think even McCain got in on it. I never heard the outcome or even if it's settled yet.

I prefer to find worthy causes right in my own backyard to aid people in
need -- people whose needs have been vetted by a small organization
that sees the people in person.

I prefer to do the same and everything is right about our personal choice.I also enjoy giving to a person that will experience and benefit from "daily" care and helpfulness.

I had to un-friend someone on FB who every time she had a problem she cried about it and started a go-fund me account for herself! It was an obvious try for money and from what I recall, no one fell for it. I finally got tired of seeing her on there begging for money (she had a very well paying job).

But I most certainly have donated to others that I thought were worthy causes - a young man friend of my daughter's fell out of a tree and was paralyzed. He needs a wheelchair friendly home and auto - when the time comes. Much more money than what social security disability will provide for him.

If I was in CA I most certainly would donate to as many firefighter causes that I could.

The most recent one is of the mother who filmed her son crying because he was getting bullied.

He will have this video of himself on the internet for life, just because his mother posted it. He might find it embarrassing when he's older, and the odds are the bullying hasn't slowed down, because he was crying and they now see him as more of a target.

She has started a GoFund me page, which has since been shut down by the GoFund me people. A close friend of hers publicly said that she said she's a single mom and would like some extra money for herself and son.

I know someone who had a premature child born at 28 weeks. They immediately started a go fund me account for hospital bills before anyone even knew if the child would survive. Long weepy tale of how down on the times they were. I happen to know this guy recently sold a business is is doing quite well. Face book full of trips to Hawaii, season tix to professional sports etc. Money started pouring in. Suddenly the baby mama was posting a picture of her fancy new engagement ring. Not surprising to me the poor little child did not survive. So the pleas were changed to help us pay for funeral expenses and give ____ the funeral he deserves. More money came in. While they waited(?) to have the funeral off they went to Hawaii for a week to "mourn". Finally a funeral was held. Then the plea changed again. It would take a year or more for the baby mama to recover. She is getting older and becoming pregnant again might be hard. Now the first pregnancy was an unplanned whoops. But now they want a child together so they need go fund me money to pay to freeze her eggs and future implanting. Yes, child hadn't been dead for a month and they are asking for funds to replace him like a puppy.

The kicker. He left his 30 year marriage to hook up with this gal. She is 41 he is 61. He has two children one just starting college. He took the house and the ex is living the working poor. But the new GF posted how the ex is a deadbeat who doesn't pay child support. The teen DD lived him for a time so she could stay at her school. There is no marriage in sight since the "engagement". By the way they also ask for prayers. They are a "simple,humble, hard working good Christian couple" trying to have a baby. (their words in their money grab) LOL

Yes, people sometimes use them for things I don't agree with, like weddings and honeymoons. But as long as it's not a scam or misrepresentation, I don't care what people use them for. People aren't forced to donate.

I think, overall, they do more good than harm. Even here at the KT we saw nice ones for Marilyn and Raven when they lost everything. That likely wouldn't have happened without that platform.

I think there is something very beautiful and uplifting about people from all over the world coming together with the shared desire to help one. It certainly reflects the good in people and inspires hope. Some prefer to give on a Go Fund Me type of platform, while others prefer to give “in their own backyards”, neither is wrong. However, I think that until Go Fund Me came along, a lot of people in need fell between the cracks with no where to really turn. The Go Fund Me site has also helped to encourage a lot of people who historically were not givers to start giving. I’m glad that there are some people who prefer to give to organizations and others who prefer to give via a Go Fund Me because ultimately more people are going to receive the help they truly need.

I'm very picky who I donate to on GoFundMe. I have to either know you personally, through a friend or I know 100% for a fact your story is true. The only actual "stranger" I donated to was a mom and dad in Australia whose six month old baby died of cancer. I cried for days after he died as I followed his story on Instagram. I've donated to parents of a little girl who was murdered here in Calgary. The little girls bio-father and his wife tortured the poor thing for days before she died. The Bio-mom and step father (the good parents) both went to school with my 2 youngest kids and they needed money to go to Ottawa (?) to fight the convicted murders from having their sentences reduced. Just two weeks ago the Supreme Court upheld the convictions. YAY! And I donated to an old friends daughter who needs to diabetic pumps (one for each son) so they can try to live life as normal as possible. Both are type 1 diabetics. Not sure how much they managed to raise.
I no longer donate to the Salvation Army or Red Cross in times of disaster. My sister in law lost her home and had to flee with the clothes on her back when Southern Alberta flooded in 2013. She didn't get much for help from anyone, but my family managed to scrape together $600 so she could at least buy new socks and underwear for her and her 3 kids. And I stopped donating to all the charities that my friends request money for on Facebook. I've given $50 to so many people, yet when I requested $ for the Shoppers Drug Mart Walk for the Cure I got zip, with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 people. None of whom ever asked me for anything.
I do donate monthly through my bank account to the Alberta Childrens Hospital. My kids have all benefited from their services so I give back a little. And I donate blood.
I think rather than criticise people who donated to various GoFundMe funds, we should say, "not my money, not my business". Right? Who cares if John Doe gets $500,000 because his wife died. It's the people who put funds up because they over spent on their visa and need help paying the tab I don't get. But at least they try, right? lol

IMO, before anyone donates to ANY charity, RESEARCH to make sure it's for real.

"However, I think that until Go Fund Me came along, a lot of people in need fell between the cracks with no where to really turn."

I have a different recollection. Before Go Fund Me, what was common was "a fund has been set up for the Cratchit family. If you want to contribute, send a check to the Last National Bank on Main Street in Nowhere, USA and indicate the Cratchits as the intended recipients."

Before Go Fund Me, there were fewer scams and fewer drives for really undeserving causes.

I also had a friend whose house burned to the ground. I went over and handed her cash because I was suspicious of how the Go Fund Me was worded. Turned out her estranged daughter in law who was in the process of divorcing her son and had lived under her roof rent free was using the fire to raise funds for her own personal gain. In her plea she claimed to have lost her home and all her belongings had to rebuild and replace everything. Not true. But of course people donated to the poor young mom who lost her everything and not my friend's real page.

So I take all Go Fund Mes with skepticism unless they are for a specific purpose and the amount asked for matches that specific purpose.

Just because you have sustained a tragedy, setback or loss doesn't entitle you to have a free ride for the rest of your life as if you'd won the damn lottery.

"Just because you have sustained a tragedy, setback or loss doesn't entitle you to have a free ride for the rest of your life as if you'd won the damn lottery."

Exactly. Life has ups and downs, some people have more of one type and less of the other than others do, in both directions. Part of being happy and successful in life comes from learning how to manage risks, to minimize or avoid the downs, and when not possible, to deal with them. Or, learning from mistakes. Clearly some people are better at it than others are. The death of a husband and father having a young family is as tragic as tragic can be but such risks come with dangerous professions.