NC Senate Budget Omits Cancer Coverage for Firefighters

In North Carolina, firefighters are fighting a threat to their health without any backup from the state.

The new state Senate budget proposal doesn’t include funding to help with firefighters battling cancer.

“It’s really difficult when they call for help and you just have to say, unfortunately, there’s nothing there. We have charitable funds that can help, but as far as the state goes there’s nothing there,” said Scott Mullins, the President of the Professional Firefighter and Paramedics of North Carolina.

Mullins said, even though the funding isn’t there in the proposed budget he still has hope because the state House still has its own budget to create.

“I was disappointed to be honest because we know there’s a lot of support,” said Mullins.

North Carolina is one of a few states that doesn’t offer any extra cancer coverage for firefighters. The only coverage that’s guaranteed is if the firefighter dies from a certain type of cancer.

Even though the state senate didn’t include cancer funding in its budget, that doesn’t mean things are over yet. House Representative Jason Saine said he plans to make sure the funding is in the House proposal.