Congressman Dan Goldman Fights to Ensure Firefighters, First Responders, and Families Receive Full Federal Benefits
‘Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act’ Would Classify Cancer Deaths Due to Carcinogenic Exposure as a Line-Of-Duty Death
Classification Change Would Expand Federal Support for Families of Firefighters and First Responders Who Pass Away, Extend Disability Benefits to Servicemembers
Fire Fighters Nearly 200 Percent More Likely to Develop Some Forms of Cancer
Read the Bill Here
Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congressman Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Congressman Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in introducing the ‘Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act’ (Honor Act). This legislation would recognize occupational cancer deaths as line-of-duty deaths, and ensure fire fighters, police, and EMS personnel receive benefits under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. The Honor Act would allow families of first responders who pass away from cancer due to carcinogenic exposure to receive full federal benefits as well as expand disability benefits to first responders who become permanently disabled by cancer.
“The data is clear: firefighters putting their lives on the line to keep us safe are at greater risk of receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis because of that sacrifice,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “The very least we owe it to these heroes is to ensure that we will always take care of them and their loved ones. It is past time that we recognize occupational cancer as the line-of-duty injury that it is and give our first responders the full federal benefits that they have earned.”
The Honor Act is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, as well as the Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of Police Organizations, National Volunteer Fire Council, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Congressional Fire Services Institute, and Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York City.
The connection between occupational cancer and firefighting is well-established. Smoke from the average house fire contains more than 140 hazardous chemicals, including carcinogens like arsenic and benzene. Last year, cancer was the leading cause of death among fire fighters, accounting for 74 percent of line of duty deaths according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
A recent International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) study reclassified the occupation of firefighting itself to its highest hazard category: Group 1 or “carcinogenic to humans.” In 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a multi-year study finding that fire fighters are 9% more likely to develop cancer and 14 percent more likely to die from cancer relative to the general population.
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