In July 2021, the state legislature passed the most comprehensive firefighter well-being legislation in the nation. The bipartisan Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) dedicates $4 million per year to ensure that every Minnesota firefighter will have access to the education, prevention and care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis.

We are so thankful to the bipartisan group of legislators and fire service leaders who took action to make this happen. Over the past few months, we have had the privilege of recognizing the legislators who were instrumental in passing the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program with our highest honor – commemorative bronze axes.

A token of our gratitude, these axes commemorate their leadership in the fight for firefighter health and wellness. The legislators awarded with, or soon to be awarded with, commemorative axes include:

• Senate HHAP Co-Author Senator Steve Cwodzinski (D – 48)
• Senator Paul Gazelka (R – 09)
• Senate HHAP Author Senator Jeff Howe (R – 13)
• Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller (R – 28)
• House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D – 36B)
• House Public Safety Chair Representative Carlos Mariani (D – 65B)
• House HHAP Author Representative Cheryl Youakim (D – 46B)

Thanks to the generosity of the Minnesota Legislature, 20,000 volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time firefighters across the state have an opportunity to deeply benefit from these new resources.

This major milestone for firefighter health combines three vital elements: an assistance program with expanded emotional trauma resources, an up-to-$20,000 critical illness policy, and ongoing health and wellness training. All active Minnesota firefighters – volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time – can access the MnFIRE Assistance Program, are automatically enrolled in the Critical Illness insurance policy and can receive training – all at no cost.

Minnesota firefighters can receive help for a crisis, find out more information or file a claim by calling 888-784-6634 or visiting mnfireinitiative.com/hhap/.

Whether you’re a firefighter, legislator or firefighter supporter we need your help to get the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HF377 & SF 621) passed in 2021!

What is the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP)?

Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Howe (R, District 13) in the Senate and Rep. Cheryl Youakim (D, District 46B) in the House, the bipartisan bill costs $7.2 million annually to ensure all of Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters have access to the care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis.

Minnesota currently ranks 48^th in the nation in per-capita fire service spending, making it difficult for fire service leaders to prioritize firefighter health measures and equipment, such as department-wide health checkups, gear-cleaning tools and mental health resources. Departments do what they can to address these issues, but with limited resources, firefighters receive limited help and education.

The HHAP establishes one-time lump-sum “Critical Care” grants for all Minnesota firefighters diagnosed with cancer or cardiac issues, guaranteeing $30,000 per diagnosis. Additionally, the HHAP creates an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all Minnesota firefighters facing emotional trauma issues unique to their occupation. Support for annual MnFIRE Awareness Trainings is also included in the initiative.

What can I do to help?

We’ve had some great momentum over the past few months and the Capitol is abuzz with constructive conversations about this legislation and firefighter health as a whole. The single most impactful thing you can do to help is call your legislator today and ask them to support passage of this vital legislation. You can find your local representatives and senators here.

“Passage of the HHAP depends on fire service supporters reaching out to their legislators,” said George Esbensen, president of MnFIRE. “Without folks contacting their legislators, our state’s firefighters won’t get the support and resources they so desperately need.”

We can all do our part to help support the men and women who protect us and our communities every day – starting with advocating for the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program.

Our firefighters are tested both physically and mentally nearly every day on the job, and the health resources they receive now just aren’t cutting it. Cancer, emotional trauma and cardiac disease affect firefighters at rates that are approximately double those of the general public, and these health problems are the three reasons why Minnesota legislators need to pass the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program bill (SF621 and HF377) and provide first responders with the tools necessary to prioritize and protect their health.

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of firefighters nationwide and is by far the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service. In 2020, Howard Lake fire chief Daryl “Taddy” Drusch tragically died of a heart attack just hours after responding to an emergency call. Even young and healthy firefighters suffer from hardened arteries and impaired heart function after just three hours of prolonged firefighting, according to a 2010 study from the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Emotional Trauma

The mental and emotional costs of being a firefighter are high, and consequently those in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population – including sleep disorders, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation/action. In April 2018, Superior Fire Department battalion chief Erik Sutton died from suicide, just weeks after retiring. The on-the-job bravery of firefighters is legendary, but that doesn’t mean they should suffer in silence when facing occupational stress and emotional trauma.

Cancer

According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 68 percent of all firefighters will develop some form of cancer in their lifetimes. The chance of lung cancer and leukemia diagnoses, and cancer-related death increases with the amount of time spent at fires. Consequently, Glen Solem from Grand Lake Fire Protection District died in early 2020, after a 14-month battle with esophageal cancer.

We must protect our firefighters from these chronic illnesses however we can, but currently, critical funding shortages make it difficult for fire service leaders to prioritize firefighter health measures and equipment. That’s why MnFIRE is championing the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, a bi-partisan bill to improve access to care for firefighters in need of treatment by establishing a statewide $7.2 million appropriation of funds.

The bill will provide supplemental health insurance and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources, ensuring all of our state’s 20,000 firefighters have access to the care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis – and prevent these diseases from harming firefighters in the future.

The Hometown Heroes Enhanced Critical Illness plan complements existing medical coverage and helps fill financial gaps caused by out-of-pocket expenses such as mortgage payments, college tuition or treatment not covered by firefighters’ medical plans. In addition to providing coverage for cardiac, cancer and mental health issues, the EAP benefits provide coverage for non-career and volunteer firefighters, who have historically not been covered by these programs. Support for annual MnFIRE Awareness Trainings is also included in the program.

All public decision-makers – from the State Capitol to city halls – must make Minnesota fire service a funding priority to give our firefighters the help they need to stay healthy and continue serving their communities.

February is American Heart Month, and we’re marking the occasion by highlighting the importance of cardiovascular health and spreading awareness for the unique cardiac risks facing Minnesota’s firefighters.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., but did you know it’s also the number-one killer of firefighters nationwide? More than 12% of all firefighters will develop heart disease at some point in their lives. General risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, age, gender and family health history – but firefighters are at an even greater risk for cardiac issues due to the following occupational risk factors:

1. High physical exertion

Most people who have heart disease don’t experience the levels of exertion that firefighters face daily. Firefighters experience sharp bouts of intense physical activity on a regular basis, and when the heart has to work harder and there’s plaque obstructing the arteries, heart attacks occur.

2. Chemical hazards

While on the job, firefighters encounter a variety of chemical hazards, including carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, fine particulates and more that can lead to cardiac problems. Even though firefighters use self-contained breathing apparatuses, high levels of exposure to these chemical hazards demand more oxygen from the body.

3. Environmental issues

During firefighting activities, a firefighter’s heart rate is elevated, there’s extreme heat, adrenaline is pumping, they’re potentially working overtime and they’re at risk for secondhand smoke. These environmental factors and more make the normal risk for heart disease we see in the general population even higher for firefighters.

Firefighters are far more likely to die on the job from a heart attack than an objective hazard of firefighting such as a building collapse. Firefighters can reduce these risks and improve their health on the job and at home by embracing the pillars of a healthy lifestyle:

• Healthy diet
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Stress management
• Healthy relationships
• Avoiding substance abuse

To learn more about firefighters’ higher risks for cardiovascular disease – and what can be done to help prevent it – consider enrolling in our cardiac deep-dive class. The two-hour class is free until June 2021 and educates firefighters on heightened risk factors, the types of cardiovascular diseases that most commonly impact firefighters and prevention strategies to help firefighters lessen their risk. Register here.

As Minnesota lawmakers meet to kick off the 2021 legislative session, we’re urging them to support the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HF0377) and prioritize funding to combat the life-threatening health issues facing Minnesota’s fire service.

Minnesota ranks 48^th in the nation in per-capita fire service spending. Critical funding shortages make it difficult for fire service leaders to prioritize firefighter health measures and equipment, such as department-wide health check-ups, gear-cleaning tools and mental health resources. That’s why MnFIRE is lobbying Minnesota legislators for $7.3 million to ensure all of our state’s 20,000 firefighters have access to the care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program.

If the Minnesota legislature appropriates funding, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program will:

• Provide a statewide “Critical Care” policy for all Minnesota firefighters which covers diagnoses of cancer or cardiac issues. Coverage amount is $30,000 per diagnosis.
• Create a MnFIRE Assistance Program (MnAP) for all Minnesota firefighters targeting emotional trauma issues unique to the fire service.
• Ensure additional MnFIREAP support for firefighters who remain in need beyond initial treatment sessions.
• Support ongoing annual MnFIRE Awareness training for every Minnesota firefighter. Changing the current culture and practices in the Minnesota Fire Service is integral to long-term reduction of the incidences of cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer.
• Sustain annual MnFIRE Awareness Training for medical doctors and mental health professionals statewide so all firefighters in Minnesota have regional access to informed and trained medical professionals to help with prevention, mitigation, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer.

Bottom line – the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program will ensure all Minnesota firefighters can access the care they need for occupational health issues. It is soon to be introduced by Rep. Cheryl Youakim in the House and by Sen. Jeff Howe in the Senate.

Another focus for MnFIRE this legislative session is the Cancer Line-of-Duty-Death Survivor Benefit.

According to the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, one in five Minnesota fire departments have reported at least one firefighter diagnosed with cancer. Minnesota has considered cancer to be an occupational disease since 1988 but still does not recognize firefighters, who by statute would be eligible for presumptive workers compensation benefits, that pass away from cancer while still employed as Line-of-Duty Deaths (LODD). The end result is that families who have lost a loved one due to a duty related illness do not receive any compensation, even though their firefighter made the ultimate sacrifice for their community.

At least 20 other states recognize firefighter deaths from cancer to be an occupational illness by statute. Minnesota firefighters deserve to know that if they should die as a result of occupational cancer that their families will be compensated.

Contact your state legislators today to let them know you support the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program and the Cancer Line-of-Duty-Death Survivor Benefit.

As we’re looking ahead to the next legislative session in early 2021, the disparity between fire service spending in Minnesota versus nearly every other state continues to put our hometown heroes in danger.

Minnesota ranks 48th in the nation in per-capita fire service spending, despite being the 21st most populous state and 12th largest in area. Critical funding shortages throughout Minnesota departments make it difficult for fire service leaders to prioritize firefighter health measures and equipment, such as department-wide health checkups, gear-cleaning tools and mental health resources.

All public decision-makers, from the State Capitol to city halls, must make the Minnesota fire service a funding priority, not simply to protect the lives and property of Minnesotans, but to give firefighters the help they need to stay healthy and optimally productive in service to their communities.

MnFIRE is currently lobbying Minnesota legislators for $7.3 million to start moving the needle toward appropriate funding for firefighter health. The Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (SF2264 and HF1782) will ensure all of Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters have access to the care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis. The Hometown Heroes Assistance Program will:

• Provide a statewide “Critical Care” policy for all Minnesota firefighters which covers diagnoses of cancer or cardiac issues. Coverage amount is $30,000 per diagnosis.
• Create a MnFIRE Assistance Program (MnAP) for all Minnesota firefighters targeting emotional trauma issues unique to the fire service.
• Ensure additional MnFIREAP support for firefighters who remain in need beyond initial treatment sessions.
• Support ongoing annual MnFIRE Awareness training for every Minnesota firefighter. Changing the current culture in the Minnesota Fire Service is integral to long-term reduction of the incidences of cancer, emotional trauma and cardiac.
• Sustain annual MnFIRE Awareness Training for medical doctors and mental health professionals statewide so all firefighters in Minnesota have regional access to informed and trained medical professionals to help with prevention, mitigation, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, cardiac and emotional trauma.

We must confront the health issues facing Minnesota’s fire service with the same bravery, determination and commitment our firefighters bring to protecting Minnesotans.