The Province is moving planning to add presumptions for breast cancer, prostate cancer and multiple myeloma as occupational diseases for firefighters.
It means if a professional or volunteer firefighter develops one of the listed cancers after a certain period of employment, it is presumed that the cancer arose from their employment.
Then the firefighter is eligible for workers compensation benefits without having to provide evidence that the cancer is work-related.
Gord Ditchburn, the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association president and board chair says firefighters have an increased cancer risks that’s more than double that of the general population.
