My brother has spent his life protecting others. From high school onward, he has been part of the fire service, answering the call to fight fires for cities and counties across California. But in 2019, his life changed forever when he was diagnosed with a rare cancer.

California law presumes that cancer in firefighters is work-related, acknowledging the daily dangers they face. Yet, far too often, firefighters like my brother are forced into lengthy, stressful battles to have their claims recognized. Instead of focusing on their recovery, they fight powerful agencies, get caught between workers’ compensation and insurance claims, and face crushing financial and emotional burdens.

For my brother, the fight for his workers' compensation claim lasted years. During that time, his family shouldered overwhelming expenses. Treatments weren’t covered, and lost work drained resources. Like so many others, he was forced into debt and having friends step in to help. The financial strain can add to the overall health struggle.  Firefighters are not used to asking others for help. 

The firefighting community, known for its unwavering support, stepped in. His colleagues donated sick time, covered shifts, and organized food delivery. But this generosity should never have been necessary. No firefighter—or their family—should have to mortgage their future to get the care they deserve.

The risks firefighters face are undeniable:

Cancer: Firefighters in California face significantly higher risks of several cancers, including melanoma (80% higher), prostate cancer (50% higher), and brain cancer (50% higher). Nationally, they are 9% more likely to develop cancer and 14% more likely to die from it compared to the general population.
Heart and Lung Disease: Wildland firefighters face 16-30% higher risks of cardiovascular disease and 8-43% higher risks of lung cancer compared to others.
These risks don’t just affect their physical health. The financial and emotional burdens of fighting for workers’ compensation deepen the mental health struggles firefighters endure. PTSD claims, for example, are denied at twice the rate of other work-related conditions. The stress of unpaid bills, debt, and uncertainty pushes many into severe anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Even incarcerated individuals fighting fires with CalFire face these risks yet often lack access to adequate protections and benefits.

If we truly see firefighters as heroes, we must back that belief with action. We need:

Stronger enforcement of presumptive cancer laws to prevent delays and denials.  Claim denials should be public information and easily accessible for the public to see which agencies are not resolving these claims.  Agencies should be rated as to how well they are centering firefighter healthcare.  $1,000 per day fines for agencies that do not resolve these claims within a year.  If the firefighter prevails, then that fine is paid directly to the firefighter.  Any firefighters who cover shifts for the sick co-worker are given the overtime they deserve. 
Streamlined claims processes to reduce the financial and mental burden on families.
Better protections for all firefighters, including incarcerated workers.

So many of our firefighters have or will go through these terrible experiences.  Let's do our part and show up for them.

Sign this petition to ensure no firefighter has to battle alone—for their health, their family, or their future.