President Joe Biden said he understands that cancer is a leading killer of firefighters.
In a virtual address at the 2022 USFA Summit on Fire Prevention and Control in October, Biden said: “Toxic substances you’ve been exposed to as part of your job are almost connected to those cancer diagnoses. And we’re going to do something about it. The Cancer Moonshot is bringing together every part of our government to cut cancer death rates in half and to end cancer as we know it, including by addressing environmental and toxic exposures to prevent cancer.”
He continued: "I’m absolutely determined to make sure you have the gear that protects you without making you or your family sick.”
And, he stuck to his word by signing the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act.
It requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop guidance to protect firefighters and other emergency response personnel from exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from firefighting foam.
Biden also signed into the law the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act that will advance federal firefighter health and safety by creating a rebuttable presumption that federal firefighters who become disabled by heart disease, lung disease, and certain cancers contracted on the job.
Legislators also passed a measure adding an additional $1B to the World Trade Center Health Program. Without it, services were going to be cut and new enrollments denied, according to CFSI.
In addition, Congress approved $5.5M for the CDC’s Firefighter Cancer Registry program.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly says: "Recently, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research of Cancer declared a firefighter's occupational exposure at the highest level, as a Class 1 threat."
While research has concluded the connection between exposures and genetic mutations, additional work is imperative.
"We ask the federal government to establish a comprehensive firefighter cancer strategy that invests in research, provides access to cancer screening for all..." Kelly said adding that retired personnel should be included.
He spoke of the importance of educating insurance officials of the occupational risks and tests for early detection.
“Time is of the essence. We must act now…”
