Halifax, NS Local 268 is welcoming a significant health and safety advance for its members after the Regional Council committed to establishing a cancer screening program for fire fighters.

The decision came a month after Local 268 President Brendan Meagher and Vice President Joe Triff raised the issue to the city’s Budget Committee. They explained that while fire fighters experience higher rates of cancer than the general public, some  have been denied cancer screenings through the provincial healthcare system.

Meagher asked the municipality to address the gap in preventative screenings, while describing the toxins fire fighters are exposed to in the course of their duties. He also emphasized the concerns fire fighters face, knowing they’re at a higher risk of certain cancers due to their profession.

He suggested private testing that would include a physician’s medical exam, urinalysis, tests for prostate and colorectal cancer, X-rays and blood work, at a cost of $735 per fire fighter. The program would apply to fire fighters with 10 or more years on the job, with individual testing every two years during a four-year trial period.

On March 19, council unanimously approved a Budget Committee motion that directed the CAO, “in consultation with the IAFF, the Province of Nova Scotia and our service providers, to establish a comprehensive firefighter cancer screening program effective no later than January 1, 2026.”

“A comprehensive cancer screening program will undoubtedly save the lives of fire fighters. We know that early detection is a key to good outcomes,” Meagher said, adding that the Local utilized resources from the IAFF; the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Association; Ottawa, ON Local 162; Hamilton, ON Local 288, Calgary, AB Local 255; and Edmonton, AB Local 209 in bringing the issue forward. He also thanked Councillor Shawn Cleary for championing the cause.

Although the provincial government has not yet moved forward on cancer screening for fire fighters, it did add 13 cancers to the list of those deemed occupational for workers’ compensation purposes in 2022, bringing the total to 19. The province also extended coverage to include heart injuries.

In its budget deliberations, Halifax Regional Council also approved 20 new fire fighter positions, part of a $4.8-million increase in the fire department budget that also includes new logistical roles and wildland response training.

Meagher welcomed the decision to add fire fighters, emphasizing that they will improve response capabilities in the region’s urban areas as well as its sprawling suburbs. He also expressed hope that the new hires will help the municipality move toward staffing aerial trucks with four personnel, and transitioning at least one fire station to full-time, 24/7 coverage.

Local 268’s participation in the IAFF Communications Training Academy was instrumental in helping raise public and council support for the increased fire fighter staffing, he said.