|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
    
|
Caltagirone firefighters workers' compensation bill passes House
Bill would provide compensation for firefighters who develop lung cancer
HARRISBURG, June 27 – As state Rep. Thomas Caltagirone welcomed to the floor of the House of Representatives several firefighters who might one day benefit from his bill to provide workers' compensation coverage to firefighters who develop lung cancer, the House passed the legislation, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said his bill (H.B. 1768) would include in the state Workers' Compensation Act provisions to make lung cancer an occupational disease for firefighters.
This would enable firefighters with at least four years of service who develop lung cancer due to heat, smoke, fumes or gases to qualify for workers' compensation benefits automatically. Those benefits would include assistance with medical bills and partial or total wages should they develop cancer that causes disability or death.
Caltagirone said the nature of firefighting makes firefighters more susceptible to developing lung cancer and, while the list of occupational diseases for firefighters in current workers' compensation law does include several heart and lung diseases, no provision exists to provide compensation for lung cancer.
"Thousands of carcinogens can be found at the site of a fire," Caltagirone said. "Carpets, appliances, all of the things in our homes and businesses that can go up in flames are met by brave firefighters who are in the business of rescuing people and their possessions.
"For years, firefighters have been forced to file suit to prove their cancer was caused by firefighting and to get assistance paying for their medical care," he said. "My goal is simply to make sure they are covered under the workers' compensation law. It is the least we can do for people who do so much to protect the public."
Joining Caltagirone on the floor for passage of the bill were Harrisburg city firefighters Lt. Doug Bair, John Peskie and Jeff Miller of Squad 8; Lt. Dennis DeVoe, Shakur Hakeem El and William Junkin of Tower 3; and Chief Don Kunkle. David Eckmund and David Schmidt of the Pennsylvania Firefighters Association were also present.
Caltagirone said the bill would require employers to prove that a firefighter's lung cancer was not caused by firefighting in order to deny benefits. In addition, the current requirement that employees file for workers' compensation benefits for an occupational disease within 300 weeks of their last employment would be waived for firefighters who develop lung cancer.
According to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, an estimated 4,500 firefighters are employed at 22 career departments in the Commonwealth. Additionally, there are combination departments which have both career and volunteer firefighters; there are 113 such departments in Pennsylvania, with about 1,300 career firefighters.
###