Note to Mayor Kenney: Philly firefighters who get cancer deserve benefits

Going into the last few months of Mayor Jim Kenney’s tenure, I really hope he won’t leave office without doing right by cancer-stricken firefighters.

The Pennsylvania Firefighter Cancer Presumption Act clearly states that after a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer, it’s presumed to have been caused by job-related exposure. (Provided that the firefighter has been working for at least four years, during which they have been exposed to a carcinogen.)

Beyond the chances of not making it out of a burning building alive, firefighters have a higher risk of developing certain cancers. Even the clothes on their back put them at risk: In July, The Inquirer published an in-depth piece on firefighters’ protective gear and how it might be harming them.

Kenney knows better than most just how hazardous being a first responder is in this city. His own late father was a Philadelphia firefighter for 22 years. During his 2016 swearing in, Kenney spoke movingly about the long hours his dad worked putting out fires. “He worked for all of Philadelphia’s families,” Kenney said.

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What I can’t understand, then, is how Kenney can sit by and allow the city to turn down first responders who file for benefits following a diagnosis of cancer. Yes, I’m aware that this routinely happens in jurisdictions around the country, but it shouldn’t happen here, under his watch.

I’ve written several times about Philadelphia Fire Battalion Chief John Narkin, who is suffering from a rare, terminal cancer that he believes he contracted in the line of duty. Shortly after his diagnosis, he applied to have his illness categorized as job-related, but his request was denied in less than a week.

I’ll never forget the absolute fury and disgust on Narkin’s face as he sat through a hearing in February 2022 organized by former Councilmember David Oh on his behalf. Luckily, in April, Narkin got word that his denial had been overturned and that his cancer would be recognized as job-related, which entitles his family to additional benefits.

Shortly after I last wrote about Narkin in April 2022, Philadelphia Fire Battalion Chief Linda Long reached out via social media to tell me about her own plight. Long, a 32-year veteran of the department, has been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer that she believes was contracted on the job.

She wanted to talk but couldn’t then, as her radiation and chemotherapy treatments made her too exhausted.

These days, the mother of two and grandmother of four wears a special cap on her head and carries around a large battery as doctors try a cutting-edge treatment that creates electric fields to slow down or stop her glioblastoma. She is still sunny and upbeat, not what I expected from a woman who, in 2019, had been told she had only six months to live. On Oct. 14, Long plans to participate in the Race for Hope Philadelphia 5K at the Navy Yard, walking on a team to raise money for cancer research.

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Long, 58, retired this year, and was alerted the following month that her claim of having a job-related cancer had been denied, Brian P. Coughlin, a treasurer for Philadelphia Fire Fighters’ and Paramedics’ Union Local 22, told me recently.

That’s not right, and it’s denying her the extra compensation she deserves.

“If they would have just covered her cancer claim and said, ‘Hey, this was contracted on duty,’ she’d still be on the payroll because it would be considered a work injury,” Mike Bresnan, president of Local 22, told me. “She would be off injured, covered under workers’ comp rules.”

Long currently receives $6,209 a month before taxes through her pension. That would increase to $7,137 — with no taxes withdrawn — if the city recognizes her cancer as job-related. Also, if she ends up dying from it, her survivors would be entitled to a benefit of up to $15,000 for her funeral costs. She also would be promoted to deputy fire chief posthumously.

But because the city denied her claim, she is not getting the benefits she deserves.

It’s unconscionable that this once faithful public servant should have to go through this. She should be enjoying the time she has left, not worrying about benefits and the plight of her fellow firefighters who are similarly afflicted. Coughlin estimates that roughly 18 other firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer presumed to be job-related.

She should be enjoying the time she has left, not worrying about benefits.

So I want to send a message to Mayor Kenney: You can fix this. You can do the right thing. Even if a firefighter with cancer can’t prove they were exposed on the job, it’s safe to assume they were, given the nature of the job. Firefighters routinely put their health at risk, all in the name of saving others. The least Philadelphia can do is ensure they are taken care of.

Please, Mayor Kenney, do it before you leave office. Do it in memory of your late father. It would make him proud.