Connecticut adds firefighter cancer presumptions to state law
Firefighters who were cigarette smokers during the 15 years before the diagnoses would not be eligible.
Connecticut has updated its laws to include a presumption for firefighters who develop cancer, according to the governor’s office. The change will go into effect on October 1, 2023, and was enacted as part of the state’s recently passed budget.
The update creates a presumption during the review process of a claim that a firefighter’s cancer diagnosis was a result of an on-the-job hazard unless proven otherwise. It covers all uniformed members of a “paid municipal, state, or volunteer fire department, as well as local fire marshals, deputy fire marshals, fire investigators, fire inspectors, and other classes of inspectors and investigators,” according to the governor’s office.
The legislation allows firefighters with a cancer diagnosis to apply for wage replacement benefits through the state-run firefighter cancer relief account, according to the Insurance Association of Connecticut. The trade group reported the program is separate, distinct and not part of the workers’ compensation insurance system, although it is administered by Connecticut’s workers’ comp commission and the benefits are similar to workers’ comp.
“Firefighting is an incredibly dangerous occupation, and those who enter this field do so out of a selfless devotion to protecting their communities,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a release. “Every time a firefighter goes into a fire, they are getting exposed to carcinogens and dangerous chemicals at a high rate. This new law will let firefighters and their families know that we support them and we want them to have access to the benefits they need just as they would receive for any other occupational injury or illness.”
To qualify for compensation and benefits, firefighters must have been diagnosed with cancer affecting the skeletal, digestive, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary or hematological systems, or brain. A physical examination that shows no evidence of, or propensity for, cancer must have been performed after entering the service.
Further, firefighters who were cigarette smokers during the 15 years before the diagnosis would not be eligible.
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