U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) introduced legislation on Feb. 12 that would expand access to federal support for the families of first responders who suffer from service-related cancers.
The bill, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, would make firefighters and other first responders eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program if they die from or become permanently disabled from exposure to carcinogens during their work. Currently, the program is only available for first responders who sustain physical injuries in the line of duty, or die from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions or 9/11-related illnesses.
“Every day, firefighters and police officers face exposure to deadly carcinogens that take a devastating toll long after the flames are out,” Scanlon said. “When these first responders develop cancer because of their service, they and their families deserve our full support. It’s time we close this gap in federal benefits and stand by our first responders, just as they have always stood by us.”
The bill is supported by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Congressional Fire Services Institute, Fraternal Order of Police, and other first responder organizations.
“Cancer is ravaging the fire service and is the leading cause of line of duty deaths,” said IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly. “Medical studies and commonsense prove this epidemic comes from our exposures to toxins in smoke, vehicle exhaust, and even our own protective gear. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer found this evidence so clear that they classified the occupation of firefighting itself as a Group 1 carcinogen – their highest and most dangerous level.”
However, Kelly said, when fire fighters die from job-related cancer, their families are denied death benefits. “It is unconscionable to abandon fallen fire fighters’ families when they need help most.”