Legislation would make Connecticut the first state to establish a comprehensive, prevention-focused cancer program for the fire service

By Livi Stanford
Hartford Courant

HARTFORD, Conn. — When firefighters head to a blaze, they put themselves at risk — not just from the flames but a host of carcinogens. And while the risks are to some degree unavoidable, two Connecticut legislators are hoping to make the state the first in the nation to provide specialized help for the cancers firefighters face.

Public Health Committee Democratic co-chairs Sen. Saud Anwar and Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey are planning to propose legislation next session that would make Connecticut the first to provide preventative screenings for firefighters, earlier intervention and treatment.

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“No society is complete without having firefighters to protect them and because they are putting their lives on the line immediately and long term to save us, it is our responsibility to do whatever it is in our power to take care of them and save them too,” said Anwar.

McCarthy Vahey said in an email that “we are interested in how we can improve screening and awareness in order to catch issues earlier and achieve better results for our firefighters who have been exposed to cancer-causing toxins.

“In addition to looking at whatever we can do on the prevention side, we want to look at earlier intervention and treatment,” McCarthy Vahey said. “Targeted screening is one element.”

The International Association of Firefighters reported last year that “80% of IAFF member line-of-duty deaths were due to occupational cancer.”

Peter Brown , president of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut , said firefighters, both male and female in their 30s and 40s, “are getting these very aggressive, very rare forms of cancer that no one is seeing in that age group outside of the fire service.

“The age that firefighters are getting diagnosed and the types of cancer that they’re getting diagnosed with is something that is not seen really in any other profession,” he said.

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For the better part of 10 years, Dr. Talal Khan , has worked with 150 first responders including firefighters specializing in preventative care.

Khan, who on May 4 , opened his fourth practice, Khan Longevity Care in Enfield , said he screens first responders for lung cancer and heart attack prevention.

In opening his office in Enfield , Khan said he wants to create “awareness that first responders are at risk.

“Let’s take care of them,” he said. “Firefighters have a unique risk. Part of their training is dealing with and managing fire exposure which would increase risk of lung disease and obstructive lung disease. But then the nature of the job in which these first responders are can involve a lot of sitting time, it puts them at risk for insulin resistant diabetes and heart disease. Some of that is lifestyle and making the right choice with food and sometimes it’s medications. But it’s just really catching these things early. I think anybody who works in this line of work whether they are doctors or police officers, there is a lot of stress associated with this.”

He said he begins early screening for first responders with bloodwork that also measures the lipoprotein (a) in the blood, which is a genetic marker for heart disease. He also conducts a coronary calcium scan measuring calcium buildup in the coronary arteries.

Thompsonville Fire District 2 Fire Chief David Deskis said that the dangers firefighters face are more than just fire.

“So the hazards that we deal with on a day to day basis with asbestos, exhaust fumes, PFAS, all kinds of chemicals that we don’t see, we need another avenue to kind of have preventative maintenance on trying to bring numbers down,” Deskis said. “You know you think when you’re fighting a fire, that’s the danger but absolutely not because later on, years later, all of this comes creeping up on our folks.”

Cancer hits close to home in Thompsonville because two firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer, one who overcame it and the other still battling it.

Deskis said he is hopeful for the new legislation and Khan’s program.

“With this new program, if you can build your immune system up with good health, your body perhaps has a better chance of fighting any risk of cancer if you are exposed to it,” he said.

He said the culture is changing in fire departments.

“I think these younger people are seeing their mentors that have been in the fire service for a while, seeing them get sick, kind of makes them realize maybe we should do something to help, possibly help ourselves,” he said.

The proposed legislation would make screenings more available for volunteer organizations or larger fire departments that can’t afford to cover such screenings.

Brown said for the last few years the focus has been on making sure cancer protections are in place for firefighters.

Lawmakers passed legislation in 2016 creating a Firefighters Cancer Relief Fund in the state that provides financial assistance to firefighters diagnosed with cancers linked to their profession, according to the state treasurer’s office. Since then, in 2025 the legislature expanded the types of cancers covered in the fund.

Now, Brown said, the priority has changed to prevention and early detection of cancers for firefighters.

In working with Comptroller Sean Scanlon , Brown said they have been able to get over a 1,000 firefighters covered for free cancer screening every two years.

But there is a need to cover more firefighters, as there are nearly 3,000 career firefighters in the state and many more volunteer firefighters, Brown said.

“Getting the program in place will give access to more firefighters to be able to access these tests,” Brown said, adding that it is also integral to have state data on firefighter cancer rates.

Deskis said, “I just think if we could change the culture for our firemen to be a lot healthier and get these screenings I think our service will be very healthy for many years to come.”

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