Local reps fight bill provisions for firefighters

By Kalea Hall

khall@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Local state representatives say provisions added to House Bill 27 put hurdles in front of firefighters filing workers’ compensation claims.

Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th; Rep. Glenn Holmes of McDonald, D-63rd; Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th; and Rep. Mike O’Brien of Warren, D-64th, gathered at the Austintown Fire Department on Monday to discuss the provisions and the plan to present amendments to them today during a House insurance-committee meeting.

“I want to thank the firefighters,” O’Brien said. “This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue. This is a safety issue.”

The provisions in House Bill 27 that are a concern to the representatives and firefighters involve changing the statue of limitations on an injury from two years to one year and allowing the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to review how a firefighter used protective equipment if that firefighter makes a claim for cancer.

Just last month, the Michael Louis Palumbo Jr. Act went into effect, so now when any firefighters have cancer, their jobs as firefighters are presumed to be the cause of the disease.

Rep. Tom Brinkman of Cincinnati, D-27th, who introduced House Bill 27, said the provision to look into if a firefighter with a cancer claim wore protective equipment properly will help gather data about the equipment and how it works to protect firefighters.

“Taxpayers are spending millions of dollars on safety equipment,” Brinkman said. “This is about tracking whether it is being used [and] how it is being used.”

Ohio is under a “no-fault” system, so, generally speaking, an individual is covered for workers’ compensation if an injury occurs on duty. Firefighters with cancer claims will get their claims paid, Brinkman noted, but he believes there should be an investigation into whether the equipment was used properly.

“I think that’s important to the system that we are all paying this money that we find out these issues,” Brinkman noted.

The change in the statute of limitations Brinkman said has to do with efficiency and is for injuries, not diseases caused at the workplace.

“Businesses just want closure,” he said.

Firefighters encouraged local representatives to fight for their departments. Dave “Chip” Comstock, Western Reserve Joint Fire District chief, explained that if departments were to follow all the precautionary measures to preventing carcinogens from affecting firefighters, they would need more financial support for equipment. For example, firefighters wear a hood under their helmets.

“It’s a recommendation that these are changed out [after every use], but the state only provides one hood,” Comstock said.

Boccieri will propose amendments to restore the bill to its previous state. He hopes firefighters will come down to the capital and fight against the provisions.

“We all have known and have had friends who have died from cancer,” Austintown Fire Chief Andy Frost said. “Please continue the fight.”