Firefighters in Connecticut who are diagnosed with cancer and meet several conditions will qualify for workers compensation benefits starting Oct. 1 under the state’s new budget, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
The law, as part of the biennial state budget for 2023-25, creates a presumption “during the review process of a workers compensation claim that a firefighter’s cancer diagnosis is a result of their hazardous jobs unless proven otherwise,” according to a statement issued Aug. 29. Lawmakers passed the budget in July, appropriating $4 million a year to a fund to help cover cancer costs for firefighters, according to state documents.
According to the governor’s office, the presumption applies to any uniformed member 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. They must have been on the job for at least five years and submitted to annual medical health screenings as recommended by their medical provider.
To qualify for the compensation and benefits, a firefighter must have been diagnosed with any condition of cancer affecting the brain or the skeletal, digestive, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary, or hematological systems. They must have had a physical examination after entering the service that failed to reveal any evidence of or a propensity for the cancer, and they must not have used cigarettes during the 15 years before the diagnosis.