![]() to noon at the Cleveland Clinic at 3050 Science Park Dr. The seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 from 9 a.m. When we followed up by asking, "Aren't we obligated to pay the bills?", Cave replied, "You know, you're being obnoxious about all this."Īfter Palumbo was diagnosed with cancer, his brother, Mark, took action.Īlso a firefighter, he is currently organizing a free seminar entitled “Firefighter Occupational Cancer Prevention and Awareness.” It estimates the total cost of a presumptive cancer law for firefighters at approximately $75 million a year. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation said the law would increase premiums for any municipality with a fire department. we got that from the workers compensation bureau so that was one of the things we based our opposition on,” she said. When Buduson asked Cave why the Ohio Municipal League fought the legislation, she said, “One of the things we hear is it’s going to cost a good bit of money. It has used your tax dollars to oppose the presumptive cancer law for firefighters for years. The lobbying group is funded by Ohio cities and towns. NewsChannel 5 Investigator Sarah Buduson went to Columbus to question Susan Cave, the executive director of the Ohio Municipal League. So why won’t Ohio lawmakers pass legislation to help firefighters facing cancer? "My time with them (my family) is, you know, the most important thing to me," he said. "It just really infuriates me that this is such a simple bill that could be passed and take care of my brother firefighters and their families and me and my family," he said. However, under the current system, Palumbo must return to work in some capacity so he can secure his full pension and benefits. After all, he is just months away from having served 25 years with the department. ![]() Palumbo would like to retire early to spend more time with his family. we were doing something, where I was holding his hand, and I thought I may never feel his hand as a grown adult,” Palumbo said. “I have a 7 year old son and, you know, I thought about. “The first thing that popped into my mind was my wife and children and how it was going to affect them,” he said. “It just came across as a punch to the gut,” he said. The Beachwood firefighter, a father of five, was diagnosed last fall. “That's the one thing I never thought: the risk of cancer and my job,” said Capt. The study also linked glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, to fighting fires. In 2006, University of Cincinnati researchers concluded firefighters had a higher risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancer after researchers reviewed 32 studies related to firefighters’ cancer risk. “Those were what we call oral cancers gastrointestinal cancers respiratory cancers (lung) and genital, urinary cancers (bladder, prostate, kidney),” he said. “We found that firefighters have increased risk for all cancers and that increased risk was primarily driven by six types of cancers,” he said. "There is an association between firefighting and cancer and that association does appear to be causal,” said Hales. Tom Hales was on the team that analyzed 60 years of data from more than 30,000 firefighters. The most significant study was done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a part of the CDC, in 2013.ĭr. NewsChannel 5 investigators found a growing body of scientific evidence shows fighting fires increases a person’s risk of several types of cancer. You may think flames are the most significant danger firefighters face as a result of their occupation. Her proposal (HB 292) also remained mired in bureaucracy. Christina Hagan (R-District 50) introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives last fall. “We can't even get it out of committee,” Patton said. A year later, it has yet to be scheduled for a vote. It was assigned to the Senate Insurance Committee. The latest version of Patton's bill (SB 27) was introduced in February of 2015. The proposed legislation would mean firefighters could receive money for medical costs, workers’ compensation, and survivor benefits for their dependents. Since 2008, Patton has introduced what’s known as presumptive cancer legislation, not once, or twice, but four times in Ohio. “There’s no other disabling injury that someone in Ohio will receive while working that we don’t take care of,” he said. “I feel almost embarrassed as the state of Ohio,” said Ohio Senator Tom Patton (R-District 24.) NewsChannel5 investigators found Ohio is one of just sixteen states without a law recognizing the link between fighting fires and cancer. An exclusive 5 On Your Side Investigation reveals how Ohio fails to protect the people willing to risk their lives to save ours
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