Legislation before Congress would make a connection between serving as a military firefighter and developing cancer later in life

Many types of cancer have latency times of ten years or more making it difficult to trace the exact time and cause of the disease

Sunday, October 22, 2023 - Representatives in the US government are being asked to take up the cause of military firefighters who have developed cancer and other life-threatening illnesses later in life as a result of having served their country. Many types of cancer have latency times of ten years or more making it difficult to trace the exact time and cause of the disease. The new legislation will extend the presumptive service-connection to 15 years for having developed certain types of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. We now know that using aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) made from PFAS forever chemicals causes cancer at a much higher rate than those who are not firefighters. According to the official website of Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger legislation is being addressed a second time that will provide Military Veteran firefighters monetary compensation, healthcare benefits, and retirement income. " The Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act -- first introduced in January 2020 -- is named for Virginia resident Michael Lecik, a former U.S. Air Force firefighter who was twice deployed to the Middle East. Following his military service, Lecik became a civilian firefighter and then became chief fire inspector at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee. In February 2019, Lecik was diagnosed with multiple myeloma -- a condition tied to the high-risk, carcinogenic workplace conditions that come with being a military firefighter. Lecik passed away in 2021."

In addition to the new legislation, many military veterans who served their country as a firefighter, are filing AFFF cancer lawsuits against the makers of the firefighting foam they were forced to use during military duty. AFFF firefighting foam is made from PFAS forever chemicals that are known to cause cancer at higher rates than the general population. The strong molecular bonds in PFAS forever chemicals make AFFF firefighting foam extremely effective in extinguishing petroleum and jet-fuel fires. Lawsuits target 3M Corporation, DuPont, and about a dozen other companies that manufacture AFFF foam. The defendants are accused of knowing or having a responsibility to know about the hazards of AFFF and never warning the military or users of the product. Firefighters say that they regularly used and trained with AFFF and when they did, would become covered in it head to toe. Firefighters who expressed concern over the safety of the product were told it was as harmless as using dishwashing soap, which AFFF resembled. PBS recently reported on a definitive study linking forever chemicals exposure to testicular cancer among military firefighters and those who use AFFF firefighting foam for other purposes. PBS told readers, "Testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among young adult men. It is also the type of cancer diagnosed at the highest rate among active military personnel, most of whom are male, ages 18 to 40, and in peak physical condition." Lawyers report that more than 6000 AFFF lawsuits from firefighters have been organized into multi-district litigation and that bellwether trials will begin before the end of 2023.

Information provided by AFFFLawsuitCenter.com, a website devoted to providing news about AFFF and PFAS cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia claims, including a free no-cost, no-obligation AFFF Lawsuit Claim.