While the firefighters fought with the disaster in Los Angeles County in January, California’s US senators Adam Schiff and both democratic Alex Padilla signed the legislation for a simple purpose: provided Federal aid to the first interventions associated with service.
. Fallen Heroes Honor Our Life It is considered very important by its supporters. Increase in forest fire frequency and the fight against a carcinogenic fire by the World Health Organization. Firefighters 14 % higher chance According to the 2024 study, dying from cancer from the general population and disease Responsible for 66 % Career Firefighter from 2002 to 2019.
Los Angeles fires made the fear of these statistics a brave relief. Houses, businesses and cars – and the products in them – caught, gases, chemicals, asbestos and Other toxic pollutants He was released into the air, usually settled in the soil and dust. Often the first intervention teams working at close range without sufficient respiratory protection, the risk of developing negative health conditions is higher.
Only days after the discovery of fires, the researchers tested 20 firefighters from North California to help fight flames, and found dangerous lead and mercury in their blood. The results are part of a long -term study following the health effects of people who are exposed to toxic emissions of January fires. The team includes researchers from Harvard, UCLA, Uc Davis, Texas University in Austin and USC Keck Medical Faculty.
Padilla said in a statement, “Firefighters and the first intervention teams put their lives on the line without a second thought to protect the California communities from destructive South California fires.” “We have a common task to help them bring their families back to their feet when they sacrificed their lives due to cancers or encounter severe disabled people.”
However, although the honor of our Fallen Heroes Law has bilateral support, those who are still politically faced with a rude way and who spend the programs operated by similar government to deal with programs, warn the great implementation issues if the measure becomes a law.
The Senate Judicial Committee accepted a similar bill in 2024, but the measure did not vote on the ground. And while legislators are potentially thinking about large federal budget cuts, this year’s fate in the Congress is far from open. What is clear is that the devil is in detail that connects the benefits to the health conditions related to the service.
“It is not as difficult as accepting the legislation,” John Feal, who was injured in the 9/11 Ground Zero region while working as a destruction supervisor, said, not as difficult as accepting the legislation. ” Since then, the first intervention teams and military veterans have been a violent defender.
Feal, “more people who need help, you will follow the maturation of the legislation,” he said. At this point, he added that the program’s growth capacity – and the capacity to successfully process the applications of the prominent applications for assistance may become a difficulty.
Feal, what was in various government programs created after 9/11 attacks, then the first wounded intervention teams, including some of the diagnosis of cancer. Both September 11 Sacrifice Compensation Fund And World Trade Center Health Program He faced significant financing problems and was fed with logistics failures.
You. The honor of Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Sponsored by the Fallen Heroes Law may allow it to eliminate some financing traps. Instead of creating a new benefit program, the bill will submit to firefighters with a long -standing 9/11 cancer -related conditions. Benefits of Public Security Officers ProgramThe task line provides financial death, disability and educational benefits to interventions and surviving family members.
The benefits of death in such programs are considered compulsory expenditures and the congress is financed independent of budget decisions. However, financing depends on annual allowances for disability and training aid.
Even with full financing, the legislation may face problems similar to those who disturb 9/11 programs, including complex conformity criteria, and the difficulty of documenting that diseases are related to service and the recently continued for a long time. Federal initiatives in deductions.
Lawyer Michael Barasch developed pulmonary fibrosis from toxic exposure at the World Trade Center site and 9/11 Health and Compensation Law named. Barasch, who is currently representing the 9/11 victims and the Lobies Congress for program improvements and financing, said that the honor of the Fallen Heroes Law should facilitate the documentation process that the first intervention teams are related to forest fires.
Barasch, KFF Health News, said, “According to my experiences representing more than 40,000 members of the 9/11 community, he must have clear standards to determine the suitability of any similar program,” he said. “Unnecessary complexity creates a serious risk that the intervention teams, which should be appropriate, cannot reach the benefits.”
Feal, if the deputies are now added to the conditions covered, public security officials should be ready to support the aid program enough to support the personnel, he added.
“There were 75,000 people in the program in 2015. Currently there are close to 140,000 in the program. “There is an accumulation of registration in the WTC program because they are inadequate and there is an accumulation to certify your illnesses so that you can compensate.”
As the Program of Public Security Officers, as the program is currently implemented, firefighters and other first intervention teams are entitled to receive support from physical injuries in the task line or heart attack, stroke, mental health conditions and 9/11. The bill shall add provisions for those who die or permanently deactivated from other cancers related to the service.
The honor of the Fallen Heroes Law was introduced in 2023 and re -introduced on January 23 this year, referring to Forest Fires. newsletter. The Congress Budget Office estimated that the law would cost approximately 250 million dollars a year from 2024 to 2034 last year; It has not been weighed since the measure was re -introduced.
Edward Kelly, the President of the International Assn, said, “The grip of cancer on the fire department is undeniable,” he said. Firefighters. “When an firefighter dies of professional cancer, we owe them to ensure that their families owe the death line to get their death aid.”
This was produced by the article KFF Health NewsA national news room that produces in -depth journalism about health problems.
