March 12, 2009
MLA Polak Recognizes Firefighters' Lung Cancer Risk

VICTORIA – Langley MLA and Healthy Living Minister Mary Polak rose yesterday in the B.C. Legislature to pay tribute to the province's firefighters and to give her support to an amendment to the Workers Compensation Act to add primary site lung cancer for non-smokers to the list of cancers already recognized as occupational diseases for firefighters.

"When we think about the idea that you would be standing outside of a burning building and instead of running away, you would be running in, our first thought is: 'Who on earth would do that?' Well, the answer is our firefighters, and the reality is they do so much more than that," said Polak. "That desire they have to be thinking every day about our safety and the safety of their communities stretches out into much more than just safety. It stretches into concern for our community security, for those who are vulnerable, for seniors, for any number of charities."

Polak went on to pay specific tribute to retired Langley Fire Chief and local community columnist Jim McGregor.

"When I think about the firefighters in Langley, I can't help but think about a very well-known former firefighter in Langley, and that's our former city of Langley fire chief, Jim McGregor," said Polak. "He represents all that is good that goes beyond what we typically think of firefighters. We think of all the wonderful, valiant efforts they undergo to try and protect us, to keep us safe, to rescue us, to provide all those services that very many of us would never have the courage to undertake."

Studies have indicated that firefighters can be exposed to dangerous toxic fumes in the course of their duties, and occasionally that exposure may lead to cancer. The new amendments are designed to help firefighters and their families by streamlining eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. This change delivers on the provincial government's commitment to add lung cancer for non-smokers as the ninth cancer recognized as an occupational disease for B.C. firefighters.

"Not only do I thank the firefighters for their persistence over the years in bringing these issues forward on behalf of their members, but I also want to thank them for giving us the opportunity to thank them in such a very real and profound way," concluded Polak.

The firefighters’ occupational disease regulation recognizes certain types of cancers as occupational diseases associated with long-term employment as a firefighter. Full-time, volunteer, part-time and paid on-call firefighters qualify for this coverage. If passed, the amendment adding lung cancer for non-smokers will be retroactive to May 27, 2008.

The Province first recognized certain cancers as occupational diseases linked to firefighting in 2005. Cancers already recognized are primary site brain cancer, primary site bladder cancer, primary site kidney cancer, primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, primary site ureter cancer, primary site colorectal cancer, primary leukemia and primary site testicular cancer.

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