FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 3, 2026

BCGEU Responds to Expanding cancer coverage for firefighters

"Today's announcement is a welcome step forward for the more than 15,000 wildfire fighters covered under the Workers Compensation Act," said Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU), which represents roughly 2,000 members in the wildfire service. 
 
"While we welcome this progress, we will continue advocating for expanded protections, stronger prevention measures, and the resources wildfire fighters need to stay safe. As fire seasons grow longer and more extreme, our members deserve a system that keeps pace with the realities of their work. They put their health on the line for British Columbians and they deserve to know that the province will stand behind them if they get sick," said Finch. 
 
Sebastian Kallos, a wildfire fighter and a vice president of BCGEU's Component 20, which represents members in wildfire and other occupations, said: "On behalf of our wildfire members, we welcome the Province's decision to amend the Firefighters' Occupational Disease Regulation to recognize eight additional cancers as presumptively work-related. Wildfire fighters face intense, prolonged exposure to smoke, carcinogens, and toxic environments on the front lines of increasingly severe fire seasons. Adding these new cancers acknowledges the real and well-documented risks our members take every single day.
 
"Presumptive coverage matters. It means firefighters can access compensation and support without the added burden of proving their disease was caused by the critical job they were proud to do," said Kallos.

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For more information contact BCGEU Communications at [email protected] 

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