CT Firefighters Cancer Relief Fund Overview

FIREFIGHTERS CANCER RELIEF FUND OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Treasurer’s website pages for the Connecticut Firefighters Cancer Relief Fund. Below is a summary of the program and the enabling statutes and eligibility requirements.

• The Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund was established in 2016 by Public Act 16-10.  This Fund is used for two programs:

1. Wage replacement when approved by a subcommittee of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association.  Additional information about that program is available here. 

2. Compensation and benefits through a claim administered by a municipality through the new Municipal Reimbursement Program established by Public Act 23-204, Sec. 159 (codified in the Connecticut General Statutes at Sec. 7-313p), which is summarized below.

• Section 159 of Connecticut Public Act 23-204 established a new program, the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program (“Program”), providing for municipalities to pay compensation and benefits to eligible firefighters with cancer who meet certain statutory criteria “in the same amount and in the same manner that would be provided under [the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act]” and then seek reimbursement from the Office of the Treasurer.
• Public Act 23-204, Section 159 (e)(1) requires the municipality in which a claimant firefighter is employed to “administer claims submitted [under the Program] in the same manner as workers' compensation claims under [the Workers’ Compensation Act].”
• Municipalities are fully reimbursed for payments made under this Program to eligible claimants for covered compensation and benefits.
• Firefighters qualify only if the following is determined by the municipality, pursuant to Public Act 23-204 (b):
  • 1. be diagnosed with any condition of cancer affecting the brain or the skeletal,

    digestive, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive, urinary, or

    hematological systems that results in death or temporary or permanent total

    or partial disability;

  • 2. had a physical examination after entering the service that failed to reveal

    any evidence of or a propensity for the cancer;

  • 3. not used cigarettes during the 15 years before the diagnosis;
  • 4. worked for at least five years as (a) an interior structural firefighter at a paid

    municipal, state, or volunteer fire department or (2) a local fire marshal,

    deputy fire marshal, fire investigator, fire inspector, or another class of

    inspectors or investigators for whom the state fire marshal and Codes and

    Standards Committee have jointly adopted minimum qualification

    standards; and

  • 5. submitted to annual medical health screenings as recommended by the firefighter’s medical provider

 

Municipalities may submit reimbursement requests by using the forms available here and will find additional information regarding the reimbursement process in the document titled, “Overview and Directions for Municipal Reimbursement Claims”.

Contact Us: 

Sharon Anderson

Director of Financial Services

Office of the Treasurer

ott.firefighterfund@ct.gov

860-702-3290