Firefighters union hopes to renew push to expand coverage for those with cancer during legislative session
"What we're asking is the Iowa legislature recognize all cancers as potentially being on the job for firefighters," said the union's president.
"What we're asking is the Iowa legislature recognize all cancers as potentially being on the job for firefighters," said the union's president.
"What we're asking is the Iowa legislature recognize all cancers as potentially being on the job for firefighters," said the union's president.
The Des Moines Professional Firefighters union says it's hoping its second session is trying to get a law passed that expands the types of cancers covered for Iowa firefighters.
Currently, in Iowa, of more than 200 types are covered under disability coverage. When a firefighter is diagnosed with a cancer not covered, it means things like doctor appointments, medications, time off, assistance for families, and more may not be covered.
Last year, a bill looking to expand coverage made its way through the Statehouse.
"What we're asking is for the Iowa legislature to recognize all cancers as potentially being on the job for firefighters," said Joe Van Haalen, the president of the Des Moines Professional Firefighters union.
Van Haalen believes around six to seven firefighters across the state are currently battling cancer. He says within the last couple of years, at least two Des Moines firefighters have died from cancers not included in coverage in Iowa: liver cancer and pancreatic cancer. He says the two cancers are not ones that firefighters are presumed to have gotten on the job.
"A lot of the things that are in homes — whether it be your clothes, furniture — all this is made from oil-based materials of some type plastics," Van Haalen said. "As that stuff burns, it creates this toxic soup that we have to go into, and that stuff gets on our gear. If you're not wearing your masks appropriately, we're breathing it in."
Improvements continue to be made to the equipment firefighters across the nation wear. While costly, departments across the state are working to get new gear, but it takes time.
"Even those we have to be really careful about because they contain product in them that are potentially harmful to us," Van Haalen said.
Van Haalen said firefighters in Iowa deserve better coverage.
"For those firefighters who were experiencing those cancers, we literally had guys just step up and work their shifts for them to keep them on the job and to keep them covered. That's big, but they shouldn't have to do that," Van Haalen said. "That's not something that they should have to worry about at that time: making sure their families are paid and that they have the time off to go get the treatment that they need."
In the months between the last session and this upcoming one, the union and advocates have been hard at work.
"We've been going out, talking to legislators, talking to the powers that bed, telling them our story; telling them what's going on," Van Haalen said. "People were super receptive."
In addition to state legislators, Van Haalen said the union has also spoken with cities and different fire departments across the state.
Last year's bill passed in the Iowa House, but did not make it out of the Senate.
"My brother's a fireman. I want him to be safe. I want him to be taken care of," said Sen. Claire Celsi, a Democrat who represents West Des Moines. Celsi did vote on the bill last year. "It would be nice to have it equal for all types of cancer. Just, we have it set in stone so they can retire easy and know that they're going to be taken care of if something bad happens to them."
vlog reached out to Senate Republicans, but no one was able to speak on Friday.
Van Haalen said he hopes to see this bill introduced as quickly as possible.
