KTTC

Firefighters are constantly exposing themselves to immediate danger and a new bipartisan legislation is working to expand access to federal support for families of firefighters and other first responders.

The bill applies to first responders who pass away from cancers caused by exposure to carcinogens while in the line of duty.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar visited Fire Station One in Rochester on Monday to speak about the bill and get a tour of safety measures already in place to keep first responders safe.

“There is a lot of smart things being done to better protect our firefighters, but honestly there is still a higher rate of cancer, especially certain types of cancer than there is for the general population. We know something is going on and they are putting themselves at risk everyday,” Klobuchar said.

Extending disability benefits, the bill also aims for cases where firefighters become permanently and totally disabled due to service related injuries.