Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023

Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023

Washington, DC -U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that the United States Senate passed the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023. This legislation, which Senator Murkowski has spearheaded since 2016, maintains a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with cancer in order to bolster research and data collection efforts to better understand the relationship between exposure to toxins and fumes, and higher cancer rates among firefighters.

"Firefighters protecting Alaskans on the frontlines are routinely exposed to harmful toxins on the job, which lead to higher cancer rates. Stories like those of Andy Mullen, who lost his battle with cancer caused by exposure to carcinogens while responding to a brush fire, are why I have been a steadfast advocate and co-sponsor of the National Firefighter Cancer Registry Act," said Senator Murkowski. "Firefighters around the country put themselves in harm's way for us each day. This registry provides a valuable, data-driven resource to enhance our understanding of these risks and work toward reducing the risk of cancer among these everyday heroes."

"This registry has made a difference for firefighters everywhere," said Chief Josh Waldo, President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. "I want to thank Senator Murkowski for her successful efforts to reauthorize the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer and make its continued success possible. It has already helped save lives of firefighters with cancer and will no doubt save many more in the coming years."

"The Alaska Professional Fire Fighters want to thank Senator Murkowski for all her work on the passage of the National Fire Fighter Cancer Registry Act," said Dominic Lozano, President of Alaska Professional Fire Fighters. "This ensures continued funding in our effort to eradicate cancer in the fire service. For too long cancer has been the number one killer of firefighters. This legislation supports our efforts to remove carcinogens from our gear and make our workplaces safer for current and future generations."

Background: The bipartisan Firefighter Cancer Registry Act was signed into law on July 12, 2018. The legislation instructs the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous toxins and the frequency of cancer in firefighters. These research efforts include:

• The collection and consolidation of epidemiological information submitted by healthcare professionals regarding cancer incidence among paid and professional firefighters;
• direction to improve safety protocols as data is accrued; and
• makes de-identified data available to public health researchers to provide them with robust and comprehensive datasets to expand research opportunities.