Document name

Firefighters

Document number

POL 16/2024

Cost relief means the process of moving claims costs from an employer’s claim cost experience to a reserve (i.e., collective cost pool shared proportionally among all industry rate codes).

Emergency response means those circumstances where firefighters attend a crisis situation including but not limited to a fire, motor vehicle incident, or other incident as part of their active firefighter duties.

Fire department means a fire department operated by a municipality or any prescribed local authority, cooperative or association.

Firefighter means a full-time, part-time, or volunteer member of a fire department.

Primary site cancer means the originating site of the cancer in the body.

Regular exposure means that the firefighter has been exposed to the risks and hazards associated with a fire scene(s), other than a forest fire, during the prescribed period.

1. The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 (the Act) directs that unless proven otherwise, if a firefighter is or has been regularly exposed to the risks and hazards associated with a fire scene, other than a forest fire, and suffers from a listed disease, that disease is presumed to be an occupational disease, the dominant cause of which is the employment as a firefighter (Section 28).
2. Throughout the years, the Act has been amended to include additional conditions presumed to arise out of and in the course of a firefighter’s service or employment. In 2019, the Act was amended to expand the list of presumptive cancers for firefighters and provide presumptive coverage to volunteer firefighters. The presumptions are also intended to apply to part-time firefighters of an urban municipality. In 2024, the Act was amended to further expand the list of presumptive cancers for firefighters.
3. For the cancer presumptions to apply, a firefighter must meet the minimum periods of employment prescribed in The Workers’ Compensation General Regulations, 1985 (Section 22.3).
4. For primary site lung cancer to be presumed an occupational disease, the firefighter must be a non-smoker for a minimum period before the diagnosis (General Regulations, Section 22.4).
5. If a firefighter suffers a cardiac injury within 24 hours after attending an emergency response, it is presumed to be an occupational disease, unless the contrary is shown (The Act, Section 28 and General Regulations, Section 22.3).

1. If a full-time, part-time or volunteer firefighter:
   1. Suffers from a disease listed below.
   2. Is currently serving or employed, or has served or been employed, with a fire department for a specified minimum period, and
   3. Is, or has been, exposed to the hazards of a fire scene, other than a forest fire, during their service or employment as a firefighter,

   the disease will be presumed to be an occupational disease predominantly caused by the firefighter’s service or employment.

    

2. The following occupational diseases are presumed to be compensable if the firefighter meets the prescribed minimum period of service for a volunteer firefighter or employment for a full-time or part-time firefighter:

Lung Cancer

3. For primary site lung cancer to be presumed an occupational disease, the firefighter must be a non-smoker for a minimum period before the diagnosis. If the minimum non-smoking periods are not met, the presumptions will not apply and the disease will be considered under POL 04/2017, Injuries – Occupational Disease.
4. There will be no minimum period of non-smoking if a firefighter has smoked in their lifetime:
   1. Less than 365 cigarettes, cigars, and/or pipes, or
   2. On average less than seven cigars or pipes per week.
5. The minimum period of non-smoking for a firefighter prior to the diagnosis is:

   Average consumption	Period of non-smoking
   Less than 7 cigarettes per week	6 years
   1 to 9 cigarettes per day	6 years
   10 to 19 cigarettes per day	13 years
   20 cigarettes per day	18 years
   21 to 39 cigarettes per day	23 years
   40 or more cigarettes per day	28 years
   1 or more cigars and/or pipes per day	8 years

6. If a firefighter smoked cigarettes in combination with cigars and/or pipes, the minimum period will be determined in accordance with the above table. One cigar or pipe will be considered as one cigarette.
7. Where smoking is a factor in an accepted work-related lung cancer claim, cost relief may be provided to the employer under POL 03/2021, Second Injury and Re-Employment Reserve.

Cardiac Injury

8. If a firefighter suffers a cardiac injury that manifests within 24 hours after attendance at an emergency response:
   1. It is presumed to be an occupational disease, unless the contrary is shown, and
   2. No minimum period of employment will be required.

Other Considerations

9. During the adjudication process, full file development will be required for all claims, including cases where the firefighters’ presumptions may apply.
10. A Medical Officer will be consulted before an injury claim for one of the listed presumptive occupational diseases is denied.
11. If the criteria for the presumptions have not met, claims will be considered in accordance with POL 04/2017, Injuries – Occupational Disease. Decisions will be made on the real merits and justice of each case. This will include considering factors such as, but not limited to:
    1. A complete history from the worker, including employment history, medical history, non-work related activities,
    2. Confirmation of employment and employment related exposure (e.g., fire scenes attended, excluding forest fires).
    3. Complete medical evidence/documentation.
    4. A Medical Officer’s opinion on the nature of the disease, causative factors, and causal relationship between the listed presumptive occupational disease and the workplace, and
    5. Any other facts and circumstances relevant to the matter under consideration.

Cost Relief

12. If a listed occupational disease for a firefighter was previously denied under former legislation, the firefighter (or dependants) can request WCB to reconsider the original decision. The request to reconsider previous claims will be considered by the WCB team responsible for the most recent decision (e.g., Operations staff, Appeals Officer, Board Appeal Tribunal), before progressing to the next level of appeal (e.g., the Appeals Department, Board Appeal Tribunal).
13. Cost relief for cancer claims can be reviewed under the Second Injury and Re-employment Reserve policy (POL 03/2021) or the Occupational Disease – Cost Relief policy and procedure (POL & PRO 17/2023).
14. Legislative amendments are generally made in light of scientific research that confirms a cause-and-effect relationship between a certain type of work environment and certain types of cancers. The Occupational Disease procedure states that if an employer would not have known about the carcinogenic effect in their workplace at the time of exposure, cost relief can be considered. Cost relief may be considered in situations where exposure to the harmful substances occurred prior to the effective date of the legislative amendment.
15.  An employer can apply for cost relief for reasons outside of causation. The criteria for cost relief are outlined in the Second Injury and Re-Employment Reserve policy.
16. An employer can appeal a cost relief decision in accordance with the regular appeal process.