The Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona (PFFA) had a big legislative win this week when Governor Doug Ducey signed presumptive legislation into law – one bill, HB 2410, covers cardiac disease and another, HB 2161, expands workers’ compensation coverage for cancer.
“Our members not only risk getting injured, but getting sick because of toxic exposures and the physical stress of the job,” says PFFA President Bryan Jeffries. “These new laws ensure our members will have immediate access to the care they need should they be diagnosed with cardiac disease or cancer.”
Leading up to the signing, the PFFA worked hard to educate state senators and representatives about the dangerous realities of fire fighting. And, as the legislation went before the legislative committee, the PFFA worked with the IAFF to bring in occupational disease experts to provide testimony.
“The expert testimony was critical to succinctly explain the link between fire fighting and certain diseases and why it is nearly impossible for us to pinpoint the exact moment we were exposed to a disease-causing substance,” says Jeffries.
The new laws are effective in 90 days.
