Son of Fallen Firefighter Receives Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Salisbury, MD student Brian Carter, 20, is among 23 recipients of the 2010-2011 Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually to surviving children and spouses of firefighters, police and other public employees who have died in the line of duty.

Joan McCallen, President of the Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund, will formally present Mr. Carter with his award at a ceremony on August 18 to be held at the District Fire Station Engine #3 located at 439 New Jersey Avenue NW. Acting U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines will be a guest speaker at the event.

"We appreciate the opportunity to pay tribute to the surviving children and spouses of public employees who have lost their lives in service to their communities," McCallen said. "It is truly an honor to present this award to Mr. Carter as he moves forward with his school and career aspirations – in memory of his father."

Mr. Carter will start his junior year at Salisbury University in Maryland and is pursing a Bachelor's degree in business administration.  He looks forward to becoming among one of the first in his family to receive a college degree.

"I truly appreciate the support from organizations such as this to assist in funding Brian's education," said Debbie Ketchum, Mr. Carter's mother. "I am so proud of Brian and what he has been able to accomplish in two years at Salisbury University. We have been truly blessed."

Brian Carter's father, Sgt. John M. Carter, died in the line of duty while serving with the District Fire/EMS Department in a grocery store fire that broke out in northwest Washington, D.C. in October 1997. Brian Carter hails from a long line of public servants. His grandfather, Roy Carter, Sr., is a retired Montgomery County fire chief, and two of his uncles: James Carter, who also volunteers 12 hours a week with the Kensington Fire Department, and Jeffrey Deitz, are both District firefighters.

"It is an honor to partner with the Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund. In 10 years together, we have been able to provide hundreds of families across the country with assistance to help them move forward with their lives after the loss of a loved one," said Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. "We value the opportunity to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for us."

Scholarship Fund applicants are eligible for selection if they are the child or spouse of a local or state government employee who has died in the line of duty, and planning to study full-time at an accredited two- or four-year college university, or vocational-technical school. They are chosen based on a number of factors including financial need, academic record, demonstrated leadership in school and community activities, honors, and work experience.

ICMA-RC and its Board of Directors established the Fund in 2001. Since its inception, recipients have received over $750,000 in scholarship awards. Of that amount, more than half has been provided to the children and spouses of fallen firefighters.

About the Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Fund is a Section 501(c)(3) public charity founded by the ICMA-RC in 2001. Financial support for the scholarship is provided by ICMA-RC, individual sponsors, foundations, and organizations. Applications for  2011/12 scholarships will be accepted from Dec. 15 - March 15, 2011. Additional information can be found at www.vantagescholar.org.

About ICMA-RC

ICMA-RC is an independent non-profit corporation focused on providing retirement plans and related services for more than 900,000 public employees in more than 8,000 retirement plans.  Its mission is to help build retirement security for public employees by providing investment tools, financial education, and other retirement-related services. The corporation also works to ease the administrative responsibility of local governments that offer these benefits to their employees. For more information visit www.icmarc.org

About National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

NFFF is a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation created by United States Congress in 1992 to lead a nationwide effort to honor America's fallen firefighters and to provide necessary resources to assist survivors in rebuilding their lives. For more information on NFFF and its programs, please visit www.firehero.org.

SOURCE ICMA-RC