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Fire chief urges council to budget for state‑mandated firefighter cancer screening under House Bill 198
Summary
Fire department staff described House Bill 198 (the Wake Cannon Act) and asked council to include occupational cancer screening in the base budget; staff noted a difference between the department’s reading of the law and the state agency’s interpretation about eligibility timing.
Fire department staff briefed the council on House Bill 198, which requires political subdivisions to offer occupational cancer screening for firefighters, and outlined a proposed in‑house screening program using LiveScan. The presenter described an interpretation difference with the state agency on whether a firefighter’s prior service elsewhere delays eligibility; staff recommended adopting a conservative local approach and noted confidentiality protections for screenings.
The department asked council to fund the screening as a base budget item to meet the mandate and included a supplemental to cover broader participation in the first year; councilors asked staff to clarify the state agency (TCFP) interpretation and to provide specifics about recurring costs and how screenings would be scheduled across shifts.
