VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved funding to implement an enhanced slate of health screenings for the city’s firefighters, and other public safety officials may stand to benefit, as well.
The resolution approved by the city council directed the city manager to implement enhanced medical screenings for cardiovascular disease and cancer for uniformed personnel within the fire department.
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But it also directed the city manager to begin evaluating a plan to provide appropriate health screenings for other public safety departments including emergency medical responders, police, and sheriff’s deputies.
The topic was discussed at the Sept. 24 council meeting, which came less than a month after the funeral of 48-year-old Virginia Beach firefighter and fire investigator Matthew Gallina, who died Aug. 21 after battling occupational esophageal cancer.
The cost of cancer and cardiac disease among firefighters is high: both the human cost and the financial cost.
Currently, there are 11 open worker’s compensation claims for cancer in the Virginia Beach Fire Department. In the fiscal year 2020-2021, the department spent $4 million treating employees’ cancers.
In 2020 and 2021, the Virginia Beach Fire Department lost two employees to cardiac events. They were 54 and 63 years old.
The firefighting profession is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen – the highest level – by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Firefighters have a 9% higher risk of a cancer diagnosis and a 14% higher risk of death from cancer than the general population.
Cardiac issues are also high among firefighters in general due to factors such as exposure to toxins, frequent sleep interruptions, and shift work.
A program of 47 health assessments for firefighters, up from the current 23, is proposed. The additional tests will cost about $800,000 a year.
In the current fiscal year, the screenings for firefighters will be covered with about $370,000 from the risk management fund as well as transfers from the general fund reserve for contingencies if needed.
