New Florida Legislation Protects Firefighters from Mesothelioma

The Florida Legislature has passed a bill designed to better protect its firefighters from cancer-causing contaminants, including toxic asbestos. By approving the legislation, Florida joined a growing number of states that have passed laws in recent years to help firefighters combat occupational hazards they face every day. The Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Equipment Grant Program in Florida will provide funding for departments to procure supplies, equipment and add additional training that should reduce exposure to hazardous pollutants. It includes all fire departments across the state, from large municipal entities to small-town, volunteer fire stations. “These firefighters are out there every day, making sure we’re all taken care of,” Florida state Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, co-sponsor of the bill, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “We need to take care of them now.” Cancer Leads Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths The biggest threats to firefighters today are not the blazes they fight. They are the unseen pollutants that linger long after the flames are extinguished, the catalyst behind the latest legislation. The national Firefighter Cancer Support Network has estimated that 61% of line-of-duty deaths are caused by cancer, easily the leading cause of occupational deaths for career firefighters. Firefighters also have a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer than the general public, stemming from the high concentrations of toxic mineral fibers and c...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news