HELENA — A Montana legislative committee voted Wednesday against a bill to set up a fund for firefighters who develop job-related lung diseases after the panel’s chairman said firefighters chose their risky jobs “with their eyes wide open.”
Republican House Business and Labor Chairman Mark Noland, of Bigfork, said he is grateful for the men and women who put their lives on the line, but they “know what they’re doing.”
“That is their profession, that is what they chose, and we do not want to, you know, slight them in any way, shape or form, but it is something they’re going into with their eyes wide open,” Noland said before the vote.
Noland’s comments drew a sharp response from Democrats on the committee. Democratic Rep. Casey Schreiner, of Great Falls, said the state is responsible for public employees and he was disgusted that the committee would tell firefighters it’s their fault they got sick while performing their duties.
“This concept that these folks go into this job (eyes) wide open so they should know that they’re going to get cancer? That is crazy,” Schreiner said.
The measure would establish that firefighters diagnosed with cancer and other lung diseases are presumed to have gotten ill on the job. They would have to have a clean bill of health when they are hired, have regular checkups and not have used tobacco within five years of a claim.
Eligible firefighters would be able to receive benefits from a new presumptive disease compensation fund if their claims are denied by workers’ compensation insurance.
Noland said presuming lung diseases came from a firefighter’s duties could make the state liable for a wide range of illnesses in the future, such as brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease and leukemia. “The presumptive aspect is too broad,” he said.
The bill’s sponsor, republican Sen. Pat Connell, of Hamilton, called that a “cop-out.”
“The consequences will be on the shoulders of the House,” Connell said of the bill’s failure.
The measure previously passed the Senate. The House could still revive it this session if the committee decides to take it up again or if the full House votes to bypass the committee and debate the bill on the House floor.
The committee vote to reject the bill was 10-9. One Republican voted with the eight Democrats on the committee in support of the measure.
Democratic lawmakers and firefighters who were at the Capitol on Wednesday immediately began to pressure Republican majority lawmakers to take up the bill again. In a news conference, Great Falls Fire Department Battalion Chief David Van Son addressed Noland’s comments by saying he didn’t know he was at an elevated risk for cancer and other diseases when he joined the department 22 years ago.
“He has no idea how difficult our job is going in day in, day out, fighting the fight, saving lives, but also the fight we have to fight with our families when we contract these horrible diseases,” Van Son said of Noland.
Gov. Steve Bullock noted that 46 other states already have presumptive illness protections for firefighters.
“This is a slap in the face to all of Montana’s first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and our communities,” Bullock said in a statement.