Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Occupational Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Christiansburg proposes county-wide firefighter cancer screening with LifeScan; department can fund 15 of 40 needed spots
Summary
Christiansburg has a contract with LifeScan Wellness Centers to provide precancer screening for firefighters; the company requires 40 participants for an on-site mobile unit and the department currently has funding for about 15 slots at $825 per person for the basic package.
Christiansburg fire officials told the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission they have contracted with LifeScan Wellness Centers to provide precancer screening for firefighters and emergency responders.
Speaker 3 said the vendor requires 40 participants to bring its mobile testing unit to a station and that his department can cover about 15 tests from current budgeted funds. “It's $825 a person,” Speaker 3 said, describing the basic package that covers blood work and an on-site ultrasound; additional tests such as chest X‑rays, lumbar X‑rays or certain specialty screens would incur extra costs.
Speaker 3 said the town plans to include funding for the remainder of its staff in the upcoming budget and invited other departments to join the effort so the mobile unit can visit the county. He emphasized the value of baseline testing when new members join and recommended consistent documentation of structure‑fire exposures to support possible line‑of‑duty cancer benefits in future claims.
Commission members expressed support and Speaker 5 (County Administrator) said the board would be willing to consider financial assistance if needed. No formal county appropriation was made during the meeting; commissioners asked departments to report back with participant commitments and budget figures for coordination before June 30.
