Federal law expands first‑responder benefits
A new federal law inspired by a fallen St. Paul fire captain expands survivor and disability benefits for first responders nationwide. Enacted this week, the change broadens eligibility and streamlines claims for firefighters, police and EMS, and directly affects Twin Cities agencies and their families.
📌 Key Facts
- Publication date: Dec. 19, 2025 (TwinCities.com)
- Change applies nationwide to first responder benefits programs
- Legislation was inspired by the death of a St. Paul Fire Department captain
📊 Relevant Data
Firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population.
What are Cancer Rates Among Firefighters? — pdcenterlv.com
Fire fighter occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty death in the fire service, accounting for nearly 80% of IAFF member line-of-duty deaths in 2025.
Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month - IAFF — iaff.org
American career firefighters have an almost 10% excess overall cancer incidence for males and 24% excess for females when compared with the US general population.
Cancer and Potential Prevention with Lifestyle among Career Firefighters in the Health eHeart Study — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Women firefighters have greatly increased bladder cancer incidence (greater than 10-fold) and mortality (greater than 30-fold) compared with women in the general population.
Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research — publichealth.arizona.edu
In 2023, 79.1% of the firefighters workforce were White, followed by other races including Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American.
Firefighters | Data USA — datausa.io
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