Does firefighting cause cancer? That's a question at the heart of a bill at the state legislature that would make it easier for firefighters who have certain cancers to get workers comp benefits.
The law would make it so that firefighters who develop cancers that are "presumed" to arise out of employment are eligible for workers compensation benefits. It has the support of various organizations that represent firefighters.
But the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities is pushing back, saying firefighters who can prove their cancer was work related already qualify for the benefit. This bill would just shift the burden of proof to the town to show otherwise, said CCM spokesman Kevin Maloney. He said it would cost a lot of money, because firefighters could get full pay and benefits indefinitely.
"If a firefighter contracts cancer, it would automatically assume to be job related and would open up a much more costly workers comp benefit package than currently exists," Maloney said, adding that it could eventually cost towns and cities millions of dollars each year.
In a press release, the conference also questions the science linking firefighting and cancer. It says it's "not conclusive." But the federal Centers for Disease Control says firefighters are at increased risk for cancer, and that they have higher rates of cancer than the general population.
The CDC's Dr. Thomas Hales has co-authored a study on the topic.
"We found a statistically significant increase in all cancers in firefighters," Hales said. "Now, this is a modest increase -- 9 percent increase in incidents and a 12 percent increase in cancer death in firefighters."
Hales said the research doesn't establish a clear causal relationship between firefighting and cancer. But it adds more evidence to the association between the two. "It strengthens that argument," he said.
The bill is before the state's House of Representatives.
