Summary: The legislation would update the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program to include presumptive benefits for firefighter occupational cancer.
Background:
Due to the nature of their jobs, which exposes them to toxic chemicals, stress, and other extreme conditions, firefighters in the United States are at risk for a number of diseases, including various cancers.
In fact, in 2015 a study was released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which found that fire fighters are 9% more likely to develop cancer and 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general population.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has named occupational exposure from firefighting as a Group 1 carcinogen.
The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program, run by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen public safety officers.
