Firefighters win battle

HEALTH CARE: New regulation presumes illnesses are work-related

Posted By NATHAN TAYLOR, THE PACKET AND TIMES

Posted 10 months ago

Volunteer firefighters, who outnumber their full-time colleagues in the province by nearly 10,000, should find it easier to qualify for benefits.

The province yesterday announced a new regulation that "presumes that eight types of cancer... that are suffered by these workers would be work-related, unless proven otherwise. The same presumptions currently apply to full-time firefighters in Ontario."

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board previously dealt with firefighters' claims usually on a case-by-case basis to see whether or not a disease was work related.

"Now, the onus is off the firefighters to prove... that the cause of illness is work related," said William Lin, Ministry of Labour spokesperson.

This regulation presumes the following are work-related. (In parentheses is the number of required years of service.)

* Brain cancer (10 years)

* Bladder cancer (15 years)

* Kidney cancer (20 years)

* Colorectal cancer (10 years; diagnosed prior to 61st birthday)

* Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (20 years)

* Leukemia (15 years; certain types)

* Ureter cancer (15 years)

* Esophageal cancer (25 years)

* Heart disease (within 24 hours of fighting a fire or participating in a training exercise involving a simulated fire emergency)

"It's only right that the volunteers should have the same (coverage). They fight the same fires," said Eric Dowell, chief of the Severn Township Fire Department, which consists of 76 volunteers. "They run the chance of being introduced to these conditions, sometimes more than full-time firefighters."

Severn, Ramara and Oro- Medonte townships each have a volunteer force, he noted.

"There are volunteers who have been fighting fires for 25, 30 years," he said.

The Orillia Fire Department has 28 volunteers who "are put in danger when required," said Chief Ralph Dominelli, who said the regulation is "great news for all volunteer firefighters in Ontario."

"In a lot of municipalities, they are the frontline firefighters," he said, "and just because the fire's out, the danger's not gone away."

Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is one of the opposition members who has been on the government's case about extending these opportunities to volunteers.

"It's better late than never," he said, adding "they are 30 months later than their promise."

The Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and NDP all agreed to pass presumptive legislation in 2007, and "we did the whole thing in five minutes, wanting to get (volunteers) covered," Dunlop recalled.

"I think the government was basically embarrassed into supporting the volunteer firefighters," he said.

When the regulation was passed a couple of years ago for full-time firefighters, the government's intent was to eventually extend it to all firefighters, said ministry spokesperson Tom Zach.

"The government wanted to get all aspects right before going ahead with the regulation," he said, noting there was extensive consultation with firefighters and other stakeholders.

Despite his criticism, Dunlop said he was "thankful they did it."

"It shows that we, as opposition, were effective," he said. "All firefighters agree with it, whether it's the professionals or the volunteers."

In a statement from the province, Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said "Firefighters place their lives on the line every day to save our homes, our businesses and our lives. This regulation ensures that Ontario's workplace insurance system treats all firefighters and their families fairly, especially during a difficult time."

To learn more about the regulation, visit www.news.ontario.ca/mol/en.

ntaylor@orilliapacket.com

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