VIDEO: Firefighters unions are thanking Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo for signing a bill passed during the special session that strengthens protections for firefighters who contract lung diseases. Senate Bill 7, which passed with bipartisan support in the special session last month, changes Nevada law to assume that lung diseases contracted by first responders are work-related, even if the disease wasn’t caused by smoke, fumes or other noxious gases.
The Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and Reno Firefighters Association both urged Gov. Lombardo to sign the measure, arguing that it would protect current and retired first responders, including police officers and arson investigators. “SB7 is not political, it is about protection. Itโs about the firefighter who canโt breathe after decades of service. Itโs about the retiree who served fearlessly and retired knowing we have his/her back. Itโs about families who shouldnโt have to fight for coverage after their loved one served Nevada,” the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada wrote in a press release. “If we have something, a lung disease that a doctor says happened in our normal course of our work, then that would fall under the coverage,” said Todd Ingalsbee, president of the Professional Firefighters of Nevada.
