The Fairfax County Police Association is — to all intents and Purposes – the brainchild of Sgt. James Revercomb, who perhaps is one of the few members of the county police force who is not a native of the county.

Jim Revercomb was born in neighboring Washington in 1911. After attending Strayer Business College there, he joined Sheriff E. P. Kirby’s force shortly before Kirby pushed through the organization of a county police force.

Assigned to the police department a few weeks later, Revercomb gave considerable thought during the ensuing year to the possibility of policemen becoming ill, being shot in the line of duty, or simply dying from natural causes.

With their small incomes, most members of the force could afford to carry little or no personal insurance-and almost all of them had families. Illness or death could leave their dependents destitute.

Finally, Revercomb decided upon a plan that he had been considering for months, and set out to convince the other members of the force of its need.

By 1942 Revercomb had lined up the support of almost the entire force, and the beneficiary association came into existence.

At the outset, it was composed of the 15 uniformed members of the department, with most of the necessary funds being put up by Fairfax businessmen.

The association proved an immediate success. As the personnel of the police department grew, so did the size of the beneficiary group, until at present it includes 56 members of the force. Civilian employees of the department are not eligible for membership.

The plan-which covers all points not provided for under the workmen’s compensation act-is effectively simple.

In times of sickness, a member is entitled to $15 a day for a hospital room, and $5 a day for other medical expenses.

Upon death, the member’s beneficiary receives $1,000. In addition, each member of the association is assessed $10, and this money, in a lump sum, also goes to the beneficiary.

Needless to say, the association benefits have helped many a member of the force over rough spots in the past-as they will continue to in the future.