Rep. Pat Ryan announced his support for four bills that he said, if signed into law, would benefit the nation’s firefighters. The legislation focuses on pay equity, cancer detection and prevention and ensuring full Social Security benefits for federal firefighters.
Arlington Fire Department union President Joe Tarquinio believes cancer is affecting more firefighters each year.
“Some of that ranges from the exposures of the chemicals that are used in common building products, the lithium ion batteries and unfortunately, some of the PFAS that's used in making our turnout gear, which provides our protection but at the same time, can cause some occupational illnesses, which is a major problem for us," he said.
What You Need To Know
- Rep. Pat Ryan announced his support for four bills that he said would benefit firefighters
- The bills focus on pay equity, cancer detection and prevention, ensuring full Social Security benefits and providing death benefits for occupational cancer
- Ryan also announced his office has nominated the Rifton and Tivoli fire departments for Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee
Ryan is hoping the legislation will address that.
The Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection & Prevention Act would include cancer testing as part of the Civil Service firefighter’s annual medical exam.
“Firefighters exposed to PFAS and other toxic chemicals, those aren't treated as presumptive conditions," Ryan said. "So if a firefighter gets sick from exposure, they're not getting the health care that they deserve for those exposure.”
Tarquinio said getting the legislation passed is important because firefighters deal with more than just knocking down deadly flames.
“The long-term effects are the unseen, the unknown, and you don't know about them until years down the road," Tarquinio said. "And unfortunately, you're playing catch up and you just hope that everybody, when they retire, they do their time, they help the community, that when they retire, they can have a healthy time and enjoy time with their families. And for some guys, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen because of what we're facing.”
Earlier this year, Ryan joined his colleagues in signing a letter that would include nearly $1 billion in funding for safe staffing and equipment for firefighters in the 2024 fiscal year.
The congressman also announced his office has nominated the Rifton and Tivoli fire departments for Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee.
