The union that represents forestry firefighters across the province says they’re “extremely disappointed” that such workers have been left out of expanded presumptive cancer and cardiac coverage.
The changes, which expand presumptive coverage to eight new cancers as well as cardiac events that occur within 24 hours of a firefighter responding to an emergency, were debated in the House of Assembly yesterday.
When asked about forestry firefighters not being covered under the legislation, the minister responsible for Workplace NL, Bernard Davis, says those workers are a “different animal.”
He says the carcinogens emitted from forest fires are different from those emitted from the materials burned in house fires that cause the cancer. Davis says none of the work firefighters do is safe, but that group is not covered under the legislation.
NAPE President Jerry Earle, however, argues that it’s not just about the carcinogens, it’s about the cardiac care as well.
Earle says those firefighters sometimes work 14 hours a day, and carry 50 pound hoses sometimes for several kilometers at a time. He says those workers not being included is an “absolute insult,” and calls the stance of Minister Davis “absolutely offensive.”
Government clarifies that all firefighters are eligible for coverage related to the additional cancers and cardiac coverage in the amendment. The difference, they say, is that forest firefighters’ claims are reviewed individually, as opposed to being accepted presumptively.