Gordon Graham here with Todayâs Tip from Lexipol. Todayâs Tip is for my friends in the fire service. Today Iâm talking about being your own record keeper.
Claims are denied for a variety of reasons. But the one that sticks out is âinsufficient proof of exposure to carcinogens.â
But how can you prove youâve been exposed to carcinogens? Simply saying âIâve been a firefighter for the last 15 yearsâ is not enough.
Fire department incident reports and company journals can be helpful, but can you remember the date and address of every incident you ever responded to? You need something more.
And thatâs where a personal journal comes in. The idea here is to create a record of every call â medical calls, dumpster fires, car fires, brush fires, false alarms, chemical warehouse fires.
By keeping a log or exposure report for every incident, you create your personal record. It doesnât need to be fancy. Any hard-bound notebook will do, or you can use one of the exposure apps available, such as the National Fire Operations Reporting System. Also consider using both a notebook and an app.
Make your entries as soon as possible after the incident. Include the date, time, incident address, and most importantly, a brief description of the work you performed.
If you face a cancer diagnosis, your journal can help you track down the official records you may need. This could be key to receiving the medical coverage and compensation benefits you deserve.
And, hey, if you include enough detail, it could even become the basis of a future bestseller!
And thatâs Todayâs Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.
