Recently, I traveled to Harrisburg with some of our local firefighters from the Royersford Fire Department, Friendship Ambulance, and the Liberty Fire Company in Spring City. We went there for one reason: to talk about House Bill 2394, a bill that would provide free annual cancer screenings for both paid and volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania.
I went into those meetings thinking this would be simple. Protecting firefighters feels like something everyone can agree on.
We sat down and had 28 meetings with members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle over two days, sharing why this matters, not in theory, but in real life.
Let me say this from the heart: this is not a left or right issue. This is about doing what’s right.
And I’ll be honest, it was frustrating to realize it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.
Now, I’m not here to point fingers. I want to be fair. This bill was introduced by State Rep. Joe Ciresi of Montgomery County. It has gained strong support on one side, while support on the other side has been slower to build. As I write this today, there are 38 co-sponsors on the bill. Only three are Republicans. That’s not anger or frustration talking; it’s just the reality, and it caught me off guard.
I truly believed this would be a “slam dunk.” Not because of politics, but because of people.
Volunteer firefighters aren’t asking for pay. They’re not asking for handouts or recognition. They do this job for free, putting their lives on the line for their neighbors. Paid firefighters face the exact same risks. The only difference is simple: the pay.
And one of the biggest risks they face doesn’t always get talked about enough.
Firefighters have about a 9 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from it compared to the general population. Every call exposes them to smoke, toxins, and carcinogens that build up over time. That risk doesn’t go away when the fire is out.
But there’s something we can do about it.
Early detection saves lives. Catching cancer early means better treatment options, higher survival rates, and more time with family. That’s all this bill is trying to do: give firefighters a fair chance.
Fire doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.
Cancer doesn’t care either.
So I found myself asking, why does this feel harder than it should be?
Maybe it’s a reminder that sometimes we focus too much on where something comes from instead of what it actually does. And that’s frustrating, because this is bigger than any party. These are lives we’re talking about.
We don’t need to look left or right on this one. We just need to look at what’s right.
At the end of the day, we have to keep advocating for our firefighters, for all of our first responders, and for the people they serve.
I’m asking you to take a minute to reach out to your Pennsylvania State Representative and your State Senator. Let them know you support House Bill 2394.
Because this isn’t about politics.
It’s about protecting the people who protect us.
