A retired firefighter is walking through the state to get attention from state lawmakers.
His goal is to get benefits granted to the families of firefighters who died of cancer.
With a backpack full of memorabilia belonging to hundreds of firefighters who lost their lives, including six from Jacksonville, Tom Hill is walking through Florida.
“I have everything from helmet shields, which you don’t give away -- these aren’t given away -- to sobriety chips, medallions and ashes,” Hill said.
He is a retired firefighter from Orange County and he’s trying to raise awareness about firefighters who die from cancer.
After two of his friends who were firemen died of cancer, he tells me he decided to do this walk for them. He wants to get benefits for their families @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/WTPwR73Kc3
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) April 27, 2018
“It’s a shame that someone goes through their whole career and all they do is dedicate themselves to helping others. Why can’t their family can’t be taken care of?,” Hill said.
A research study posted on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website states that firefighters have moderately increased risk of cancer compared to the general population.
According to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation, Florida doesn’t cover firefighters by workers’ compensation coverage or disability pensions for cancer.
Pam Ramsdell, who is a firefighter on the Westside, said she has a family history of cancer and thinks the state needs to change their law.
I spoke with a local firefighter who tells me that cancer runs in her family and she knows her risk for being diagnosed is higher since she is a firefighter @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/laYdugnp6b
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) April 27, 2018
“It’s heartbreaking to see the families go through it and the only help they’re getting is from the brothers and sisters in the department and not from the state,” Ramsdell said.
As Hill continues to make his way through the state, thousands of people are signing the petition he created to ask lawmakers to pass a law that operates under the assumption that firefighters will get cancer and provides benefits for it.
Tom Hill created this petition to urge lawmakers to pass a presumptive cancer for firefighters law @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/ALazeiwCFf
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) April 27, 2018
“The public likes to call us heroes even though we don’t like that term, but I think if they knew what was going on they could be heroes for us,” Hill said.
Hill said he plans to end his walk May 11 in Tallahassee and he hopes it will bring some kind of change for firefighters.
Cox Media Group
