January 2011 - Allegheny West Magazine

Legislative Issues of
Importance to
Firefighters and You
PHOTO BY STUDIO TEN,
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Every so often, legislation is offered to address
issues of concern to, or related to, firefighters. For
example, our federal government has been dealing
with various issues involving giving collective bargaining rights to
firefighters. This of course does not apply to volunteer firefighters, which
is the majority of firefighters in the Western Pennsylvania area. Other
matters are often related to providing grants, mandating training, and, in a
variety of ways, impacting fire departments and firefighters.
Other matters, over the years, have included a minimal tax credit for
firefighters.
One big issue, however, has been a bill that would have made it easier for
firefighters who develop cancer to collect workers’ compensation benefits.
This bill was approved by the House and Senate, but was vetoed by
Governor Rendell in one of his final acts as governor. The great support
for this legislation can be seen by the fact that it passed in the House by a
195 to 1 vote, and that only four Senators voted against it. This bill has
been the subject of proposals and debate for almost 20 years, and has
actually been adopted, in various forms, by the vast majority of states.
Since the governor waited until the very end of the legislative term to
issue his veto, there was no opportunity for legislators to seek to override
the veto. For now, the bill is dead.
The bill would have created a presumption that certain forms of cancer,
particularly lung cancer, may have occurred as a natural result of the nature
of firefighting duties, and the inherent hazards with such duties. After all,
one of our nicknames is “Smoke Eater.” I personally can think of many
times that I was suddenly hit with a strong blast of smoke, often containing
the fumes of various chemicals or artificial products. Despite all the training
or reminding that we are given, the reality is often that masks are not or
cannot always be worn. Sometimes, the inhaling of the smoke may occur
before there is the ability to “mask up.”
The reality, as has been shown by research, is that firefighters are at a
greater risk of developing certain forms of cancer as a result of the work
in which we are involved. The general working conditions for firefighters
cannot be ignored. The majority of states have adopted such legislation,
and clearly the vast majority of our legislators recognized the sound logic
of the presumption, and the need for the same.
Firefighters are, inherently, men and women that generally do not
complain. A volunteer firefighter is not going to get up at 3 a.m. on a cold
day to run out and answer a call, or fight a fire while in freezing conditions,
only to complain about it later. The men and women that fight fires, cut apart
cars to rescue trapped victims, climb ladders in the middle of a rain or
wind storm, run from church or dinner to be of service to their neighbors,
and volunteer countless hours of time and unmeasured energy and effort,
are not the men and women that will be seeking to pursue false claims. The
cancer presumption legislation hopefully will be an item to be considered by
our new governor and our new legislators. It is simply an attempt to
provide a legitimate benefit to the “smoke eaters” that may have developed
cancer, due to their decision to risk their health for others.
22 Allegheny West Magazine January 2011