Respiratory Diseases and the Fire Service - IAFF

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Introduction
In recognition of the causal relationship of the fire fighting occupation
and respiratory disease, 41 states and 7 provinces have adopted some type of
presumptive disease law to afford protection to fire fighters with these conditions.
The states and provinces that have occupational disease presumptive laws are
identified in Table 1. Similar legislation is currently being addressed in the US
Congress to provide the same protection for federal fire fighters.
Table 1: State and Provincial Presumptive Disability Laws
All of these laws presume, in the case of fire fighters, that heart, respiratory,
and infectious diseases, as well as cancer are occupationally related.
Consequently, their provisions rightfully place the burden of proof to deny
worker compensation and/or retirement benefits on the fire fighter’s employer.
Additionally, many pension and workers’ compensation boards in the
United States and Canada have established a history of identifying heart,
respiratory and infectious diseases and cancer in fire fighters as employment-