Hometown Heroes Assistance Program Passes Helping Firefighters Diagnosed With Physical Illnesses and Emotional Trauma

(KNSI) – Among the many bills signed into law this legislative session was one called the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, which creates a statewide critical care policy for Minnesota firefighters which covers diagnoses of cancer or cardiac issues and covers up to $20,000 per diagnosis.

It also creates a MnFIRE Assistance Program for all Minnesota firefighters to target emotional trauma issues unique to the fire service and ensures additional support for firefighters who remain in need beyond initial treatment sessions.

The legislation supports and sustains ongoing MnFIRE Awareness training to help change the current culture in the Minnesota Fire Service for long-term reductions in the incidences of cancer, emotional trauma, and cardiac issues. It is not just limited to Minnesota firefighters. It is also aimed at doctors and mental health professionals to aid in their ability to prevent, diagnose and mitigate those issues.

Senator Jeff Howe of Rockville and a firefighter himself, the Senate sponsor of the bill, called creating and passing the bill a big team effort and was honored to be part of that team. The help will go beyond his brother and sister firefighters.

“I don’t think there’s a firefighter anywhere that doesn’t know one of their colleagues that either had a heart problem, or a cancer issue. And this doesn’t just go for us firefighters. It also goes to our families, because our families are here, to deal with most of this.” He called the passage “huge,” adding, “I think it’s going to pay big dividends in the future, not only for those of us currently in the fire service, but those of us that will come behind us.”

House sponsor of the bill, Representative Cheryl Youakim, says the creation and signing of the Hometown Heroes Act, three years in the making, wouldn’t have worked without help. She thanked all of the firefighters who came to the capitol to share their stories and help get the bill across the finish line. She praised their service, saying, “You do jobs that we ask of you every day that not all of us want to do and we need to have your backs, and I think Hometown Heroes is just the start of that. Our firefighters have an epidemic in their community of cardiac risks and cancer risks and work around mental health, that this bill will help fund, and this is just the beginning. This should be a moral commitment from our state to help our firefighters as they take care of us.”

The bill was personal for Representative Ruth Richardson, who explained why she was so passionate about getting this passed. “Two years ago I lost my brother in law of cancer. He was a firefighter and in Golden Valley, and we talked about this bill, and His hope was that this bill would pass before he died, to help support his family. So it took a little longer than expected, but I know that he’s looking down today and he is grateful that other families are going to be able to benefit from this.”

Former President of the Minnesota Professional Firefighters, Chris Parsons, says there is still a long way to go, but called it “an important milepost on the journey.” He also thanked the 22,000 firefighters across the state who stand at the ready to protect homes, lives, and property whenever they are called.

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