ALBANY, N.Y. — New York legislators and the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York are working together to pass a bill to extend cancer coverage for volunteer firefighters.
The Register Star reported the current law only covers injuries sustained in the line of duty. The bill would extend coverage to include digestive, hematological, lymphatic, neurological, breast and reproductive system cancers developed by firefighters.
The bill is written so that any volunteer firefighter who was cancer-free when they joined the fire service and then developed cancer would be presumed job-related.
In New York, 94 percent of fire companies throughout the state are volunteer fire departments.
“We [fight fires] gladly and without pay,” said FASNY president Robert McConville. “But we did not volunteer to get cancer.”
Claverick (N.Y.) Fire Chief Michael Cozzolino said fires today are more toxic than they were in the past.
“In today’s homes, the furniture, even the ... drapes are all man-made materials, all your nylons, rayons ... when they combust, they give off these toxic gases ... subsequently firefighters are exposed to that,” said Cozzolino.
The bill is sponsored by state Senator Michael Nozzolio, state assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and is co-sponsored by 43 other state legislators.