Fire fighter occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty death in the fire service.

Explore our proactive measures and ongoing initiatives aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of our members across the United States and Canada from this urgent threat.

IAFF Cancer Awareness and Prevention Resource program – click here

Cancer Presumption

Labor Code §3212.1

 

Click here for Information on Presumptive Laws

Firefighters who become ill as a result of occupational exposures to hazards and the daily stress of the job, know that fighting for legitimate workers’ compensation benefits is often a stressful, expensive slog. From routine denials of treatment to flat-out stonewalling, employers manipulate workers’ comp to delay and deny essential treatment making it more difficult for firefighters to get back to the job they love.

One of the most powerful weapons in fighting back are firefighter presumption laws. A presumption law basically says that, for certain illnesses and injuries, the job-related connection is presumed, unless it is disproven by the employer. In essence, it flips the burden of proof in the workers’ comp process: Instead of you having to prove the job caused the illness, your employer has to prove it didn’t.

Since 1939, CPF has been fighting for presumption laws beginning with the Heart, Lung and Hernia presumption. In 1982, CPF led the way with a major milestone, winning the first in the nation firefighter cancer presumption. In 2019, CPF won the passage of a groundbreaking presumption for post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI), helping to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the fire service.

Through CPF’s dedicated work, the California state legislature has recognized the significant health hazards to all firefighters.

 

 

We help firefighters and their families cope with cancer

Since 2005, the nonprofit Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) has provided assistance and one-on-one mentoring to thousands of cancer-stricken firefighters and their families. FCSN also delivers extensive firefighter cancer awareness and prevention training nationwide.

Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighter health and safety today.

  • Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the general U.S. population.
  • Firefighters have a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population.
  • Cancer caused 61 percent of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2016, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
  • Cancer caused 62 percent of the line-of