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Council committee hears that firefighter cancer screenings produced dozens of referrals; long-term funding for wellness programs is uncertain
Summary
At a March 31 Boston City Council hearing, fire officials detailed AFG-funded cancer screenings that produced dozens of referrals and flagged that key wellness and training programs depend on grants that may not be renewed. Councilors pressed for budget support.
The Boston City Council Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice heard March 31 that Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) funding has supported cancer screenings and other health programs for the Boston Fire Department, but several officials warned those programs could lapse without new grants or budget action.
Commissioner Paul Burke told the committee the AFG award ‘‘is $1,200,000,’’ and that it funds the department’s cancer-screening work and other wellness programming. Grants manager Julie Devon said under an expiring AFG award the department conducted more than 700 screenings and reported 587 dermatology screenings that produced 94 referrals for further treatment and three possible cases of melanoma.
‘‘Those funds…
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