NORWICH – Local emergency response teams are praising new federal legislation that advocates hope will, over time, curb cancer rates among career and volunteer firefighters.
The piece of legislation, signed by the president on Monday, creates the first-ever specialized national firefighters’ cancer registry to be managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The volunteer registry will help the CDC improve research and reporting incidence among all firefighters, both career and volunteer, and lead to better equipment and techniques.
The Norwich Fire Department, which relies on the help of volunteers to assist its career members, may see a tremendous benefit, according to NFD Chief Jan Papelino.
“Any time we try to protect our people, it’s the right thing to do,” Papelino said.
The new law responds to a five-year study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, which found that twice as many firefighters in the U.S. have malignant mesothelioma when compared to the general population.
