Adding protection for first responders

Firefighters, police, and correctional officers risk their lives every day to keep us safe. The heroic efforts of those who fought the fire at Patrick Cudahy last Fourth of July weekend are the best example we have-their work saved lives and livelihoods, and served as a widely admired model for disaster response.

As a state legislator and chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, I consider it my responsibility to protect these first responders and their families from liabilities like work discrimination, unsafe working conditions, or undue medical liability. For this reason, Senator Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) and I are offering a bill that seeks to address this last issue, in terms of illnesses contracted in the line of duty. No police officer or firefighter should be denied benefits should they lose their ability to work because of an infectious disease contracted in the line of duty. 

Currently, under state law, if a firefighter develops heart or lung disease or lung cancer, it is legally “presumed” that they contracted that illness over the course of their career, through exposure to chemicals and fine particulates in smoke. (They must have been free of such illnesses at a pre-employment medical exam.) Unfortunately, there is no similar presumption for other diseases that can cause first responders to fall ill through direct exposure and infection during work. These illnesses include tuberculosis (more prevalent in the United States than commonly believed), four types of hepatitis, diphtheria, meningitis, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), HIV, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

This bill will include these infectious diseases in the “presumption” law, and also include police and correctional officers. So, under the bill, if a firefighter/EMT is exposed to MRSA at an emergency scene or health facility, or if a prison guard is exposed to hepatitis while dealing with an inmate, he or she can apply for benefits if they become disabled or terminally ill as a result of the infection. Our protected occupational classes-police, fire, EMTs, and correctional officers-take risks for us every day, so it’s time we protect them with disability and death benefits for illnesses they contract in the line of duty.

Chris Sinicki is the state representative for Wisconsin’s 20th state Assembly District, which includes southern Bay View, St. Francis, Cudahy, the airport, and other parts of the south side. Her website is chrissinicki.net and she can be reached at (888) 534-0020 or rep.sinicki@legis.wi.gov.

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