On Rochester visit, Sen. Amy Klobuchar pushes support for firefighters' families as cancer risks increase

Jun. 5—ROCHESTER — Crews from Rochester's South Broadway Avenue fire station were out on a call Monday afternoon during a visit from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, but Rochester Fire Chief Eric Kerska took the opportunity to highlight what they'd do when they returned.

"Everything gets cleaned, even the radios," he said of the practice after returning from a fire call.

As gear worn on the scene is washed, firefighters clean off any potential carcinogens, which can lead to cancer if not dealt with immediately.

"Nothing is allowed in the living quarters," he said of the equipment used at the scene of a fire.

The safety precautions are a response to the increasing number of cancer diagnoses among firefighters nationwide.

The International Association of Fire Fighters reported 74% of line-of-duty deaths in 2022 were attributed to cancer.

Klobuchar said it's a trend that's concerned her for years.

"A lot of study is still going on about why this is," the Minnesota senator said, pointing to increased hazardous chemicals and technology in homes and businesses as a potential source of carcinogens that add risks during fires.

While families of firefighters and other first responders can tap into financial support through the federal Public Safety Officer Benefits program after a life-altering job injury or a variety of medical ailments, cancer does not qualify.

Klobuchar introduced legislation, dubbed the

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act,

in March in an effort to expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who die or become disabled by cancer caused through carcinogenic exposure during their service.

"We believe there is a good chance that we will get it passed," she said of the legislation that would add cancer to a list of qualifying work-related medical conditions that include duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions and 9/11 related illnesses.

The proposal builds on 2018 legislation Klobuchar successfully co-led to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease, as well as a 2021 measure that improved the Public Safety Officer Benefits program.

Klobuchar said the national registry is expected to help identify links between firefighting and cancer, which will provide new tools for protecting firefighters.

"It's already dangerous enough," she said of responding to a fire call.

The added danger of cancer claimed the life of St. Paul Fire Captain Michael Paidar in 2020, and his family's experience helped inform the legislation under consideration in Washington.

In 2021, Paidar's family had to fight for line-of-duty benefits, and it became the first time that a firefighter's family had received benefits for cancer incurred in the line-of-duty through Minnesota's state public safety benefits program.

Klobuchar said the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act seeks to ensure firefighters are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal program.

The senator said Paidar's family isn't alone in grieving the loss of a loved first responder who died from cancer related to responding to dangerous calls. She pointed to 38-year-old Albert Lea firefighter Brett Boss, who died of cancer early this year, as well as others throughout the state.

"There is nothing harder for the family," she said of the death of young spouses and parents.