Good News for Oregon Firefighters!

[Kirk Allen]

YOUR STATE...and Firefighting Cancer:

If you live in Oregon, the news is good. A bill that cleared their House yesterday will establish some cancers developed in all Firefighters as job-related, requiring them to be covered as occupational diseases.
The 55-1 vote sent House Bill 2420 to the Senate.
"This bill makes sure we protect the working men and women who risk their lives every day for our families and communities," said Rep. Greg Matthews, D-Gresham, who is a firefighter.
HB 2420 provides coverage for firefighters from 12 types of cancer - brain, colon, stomach, testicular, prostate, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, throat, mouth, rectal, breast and leukemia - and shifts the burden of proof to cities to demonstrate that cancer contracted by a Firefighter was not job-related.
The bill is supported by the Oregon State Firefighters Council, the Special Districts Association of Oregon, the city of Portland, the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association and the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters....in UNITY there is strength!

Need information to help your elected officials understand the job related issues of Firefighting cancers? Go to this link, and then scroll down to numerous related links:

http://dynamic.firehouse.com/broadcast/2006/12/22/firefighting-cancer/

as well as these links:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/378819_firefighters12.html

http://healthnews.uc.edu/news/?/3750/

http://www.eh.uc.edu/news/pdfs/lockey-01-18-07.pdf

For loads of related info and SUPPORT INFORMATION for FF's and their Families, go to:

http://www.FireFighterCancerSupport.org

[Stephen Wiley]

Thanks for the info., Kirk

I have a son-in-law, his father and soon my own son to whom this information will be beneficial to them.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I heard about this legislation a month ago at our last fireboard meeting and was feeling awfully good about the idea.