Fire fighters in British Columbia will soon have access to earlier cancer detection after the Firefighters Health Act became law on April 16. That follows years of advocacy by the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Association (BCPFFA).
The new law also requires a review of occupational disease presumptions under workers’ compensation law.
“Cancer is the greatest threat facing fire fighters,” General President Edward Kelly said. “The IAFF is committed to confronting this head-on, and thanks to the work of the BCPFFA, fire fighters in B.C. will have the chance to catch cancer earlier, improving their chances of survival.”
The enactment of the Firefighters Health Act comes on the heels of the provincial government’s announcement in March that it has expanded compensation coverage for fire fighters, adding another eight cancers to the list of eligible illnesses.
“Appropriate screening and early cancer detection will save our members’ lives. Protecting our members is a critical principle on which our great union is founded, and important programs such as this do just that,” IAFF 6th District Vice President Mike Carter said. “I want to commend BCPFFA President Todd Schierling and all of our IAFF leaders for making this happen.”
The BCPFFA, like the IAFF and its provincial and state affiliates, is fighting hard to protect its members from cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among fire fighters.
In 2025, nearly 80% of IAFF member line-of-duty deaths were due to occupational cancer. In Canada, where most provinces and territories have robust presumptive laws, close to 94% of line-of-duty deaths among professional fire fighters are the result of occupational cancers.
A BCPFFA survey of all 56 of its Locals found that 41% of the province’s career departments have no formal screening program. Another 15% offer only general wellness checks, and just 33% have specific cancer-screening programs written into their contracts.
“Moving toward early cancer screenings will help our members detect cancer early so that they can get the life-saving treatment they need,” Schierling said. “Thank you to all of our members, particularly Local 4550 Township of Langley, and our friends in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, including MLA Misty Van Popta of Langley Walnut Grove for introducing the legislation.”
Now that the bill has become law, the provincial government has 12 months to develop the cancer screening program.
