Alexandria Echo Press
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ALEXANDRIA — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act.
The bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously (21-0) out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers.
Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.
The legislation is being introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on Aug. 26, 2020 while still working for the fire department. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow Julie. This was 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 Officer Benefits program.
The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.
This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Banks (R-IN), Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R-TN), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Cornyn (R-TX), Cruz (R-TX), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Hirono (D-HI), Hoeven (R-ND), Justice (R-WV), Kelly (D-AZ), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Rounds (R-SD), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Sheehy (R-MT), Smith (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Welch (D-VT), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR).
“As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” Klobuchar said in a press release. “That's why I’m working with Sen. Cramer to ensure that firefighters get the support they deserve. Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Capt. Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”
“Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” Cramer. said in a press release “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”
“Firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line without a second thought to protect California communities from the devastating Southern California wildfires,” Padilla said in a press release. “When they sacrifice their lives or face severe disabilities due to service-related cancers, we have a shared duty to help get their families back on their feet.”
“Our first responders risk everything for us – from the front lines of wildfires to the unseen lines of duty that keep our communities safe. When they lose their lives to service-related cancers, their families deserve the full measure of support they’ve earned. No one who has lost so much should be left to face hardship alone," Schiff said in a press release.
The Public Safety Officers' Benefits program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty.
The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.
The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.
The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, as well as the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies; Congressional Fire Services Institute; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Fraternal Order of Police; International Association of Fire Chiefs; Major County Sheriffs of America; Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association; National Association of Police Organizations; National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; National Fire Protection Association; National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition; National Volunteer Fire Council; and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD