The President of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY), Ken Pienkowski, issued the following statement on the passage of legislation (S. 1411B / A. 0711B) that provides presumptive cancer coverage for New York State’s volunteer firefighters:
“Today is a great day for the 110,000 men and women of the Volunteer Fire Service who place themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow New Yorkers. The Assembly and the State Senate have passed legislation that grants presumptive cancer coverage to volunteers, something that is sorely needed as rates of firefighter cancer continue to rise. We now call upon Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign this bill into law without delay, and ensure that New York’s volunteer firefighters have the protections than 21st century firefighting requires.”
The bill was recently amended, and now includes:
•A lump sum of $25,000 for any qualifying volunteer firefighter that contracts melanoma, as well as cancers of the digestive, hematological, lymphatic, urinary, prostate, neurological, breast and reproductive systems.
•Thirty-six months of disability benefits (at $1,500 per month) in the event the volunteer firefighter is unable to work due to their illness.
•A $50,000 death benefit for a volunteer firefighter’s family in the event should they succumb to cancer.
The bill was carefully negotiated between state fire service organizations (including FASNY) and Albany legislators to ensure that all voices were heard and an equitable solution reached.
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