By FireRescue1 Staff
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Firefighters placed 500 pairs of work boots on the steps of the capitol building on Thursday to alert state leaders of the dangers of cancer in their profession.
WFLA reported that each set of boots represented a Florida firefighter that is battling or lost a battle with cancer due to hazards in the fire industry.
Organizers of the display hope to elevate the importance of a piece of legislation that would expand health and workers comp insurance coverage. Miami Dade Firefighter Colleen Buzzo said she didn’t get help for the four months she was out of work.
“There are some firefighters that don’t even have coverage from their insurance, and it’s very important because two out of three firefighters get cancer,” she said. “So we’re here to fight for that coverage for us because we have a 17 percent higher rate of getting cancer than the average person in the public.”
https://twitter.com/AmberANjax/status/1103462999979896832 https://twitter.com/Florida_Today/status/1103802524736327680