VIDEO: A new state law that took effect January 1 significantly expands access to state cancer insurance benefits for retired firefighters and police officers. Firefighters face a higher risk of cancer than the general population, according to the CDC.
“The risk of cancer and firefighting is substantial,” said Brian Moore, a captain with the Phoenix Fire Department. He’s also a trustee with the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, which oversees the state’s Cancer Insurance Program.
He’s watched colleagues battle this reality. That cancer risk doesn’t go away when a firefighter retires. “If you talk to retired firefighters who haven’t had cancer, they’re kind of walking around thinking about a time bomb,” Moore said. “They don’t know when it’s going to happen, when’s their number going to be up, and that’s a big worry.”
