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Firefighters press committee to advance bills recognizing Parkinson’s as an occupational disease and grant disability retirement
Summary
Firefighters, union leaders and chiefs testified in support of multiple bills that would grant line-of-duty or disability retirement benefits to firefighters diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, citing research and specific toxic incidents (Home Depot 1995, MWRA 2016) and local approvals; committees did not vote.
Representatives of firefighter unions, city retirement boards and affected retirees urged the Joint Committee on Public Service on May 7 to advance multiple bills recognizing Parkinson’s disease as connected to firefighting exposures and to grant disability or retirement benefits to named retirees.
Testimony covered House Bill 3,963 and Senate Bill 19‑19 for former Westfield firefighter Greg Heath and House Bill 2,775 for Quincy firefighter Kevin Bythrow, among other local petitions. Union legislative agent Paul Jacques and Local 1111 leaders described submitted peer‑reviewed studies…
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