A group of local fire and government leaders is taking its case to Harrisburg, pushing a Pennsylvania House bill that would guarantee free cancer screenings for every firefighter in the state — paid or volunteer — each year.
The proposal, House Bill 2394, has gained early traction in the state House, with more than 20 bipartisan lawmakers signing on as co-sponsors. The effort is being led by a coalition that includes Spring City Mayor and volunteer firefighter Adam Alberico, Royersford Fire Department Chief Kevin Kerwin, and State Rep. Joe Ciresi.
The idea took shape during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., when Alberico and Kerwin met with federal officials to discuss grant opportunities for the Spring-Ford community, including funding for first responders. During those conversations, Kerwin raised the idea of cancer screenings as a practical way to better support firefighters — a suggestion that quickly gained momentum.
“We started talking about the high cancer rate that firefighters have,” Alberico recalled. “And on the way home, we said, ‘Let’s run with this.’”
From there, they compiled supporting data and worked with Ciresi’s office to draft legislation modeled in part on a similar law in New Jersey. A memo was circulated to House members in March, and the bill was recently assigned a number.
Firefighters from the Royersford Fire Department and Liberty Fire Company in Spring City, as well as local EMS personnel, are now preparing to travel to the state capitol later this month, where they plan to meet with dozens of lawmakers over two days as part of a coordinated lobbying effort.
Under the proposal, firefighters would be eligible for annual, state-covered cancer screenings if they responded to at least 15 fire or rescue emergencies in the prior calendar year.
Why It Matters
Firefighters face a higher risk of cancer than the general population. Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows about a 9 percent higher rate of cancer diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths among firefighters.
Exposure to toxic byproducts from modern building materials is a major factor.
Kerwin said that exposure is unavoidable over time, even with protective equipment, as firefighters repeatedly encounter hazardous conditions throughout their careers. He emphasized that early detection is critical, but often out of reach — particularly for volunteer departments operating with limited funding.
“A lot of these volunteer fire departments are basically always strapped for cash,” Kerwin said. “Adding another layer of cost on top of what’s already going on is just unreasonable.”
That financial reality, he said, makes state support essential, especially for preventative care like cancer screenings that could save lives but are often deprioritized due to cost.
The issue has also hit close to home. Kerwin said a member of the Royersford Fire Department is currently battling cancer, highlighting the financial strain that can come with treatment.
“You find out very quickly how expensive this gets,” he said. “It's just a shame that somebody who helps the community — who has dedicated their lives to being a firefighter — is struggling financially because of something that they can't control.”
For Alberico, the issue is also deeply personal. He said cancer has affected his family directly, noting the loss of his 21-year-old son in 2021 and his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis, shaping his urgency around the effort.
He emphasized that the bill is intended to support all firefighters, regardless of whether they serve in a volunteer or paid capacity.
“Cancer does not discriminate whether you’re paid or volunteer,” Alberico said.
Spring City Fire Chief Keith Bliss said routine screenings would also help address a long-standing challenge for firefighters diagnosed with cancer: proving that the illness is tied to their service. Without consistent medical records over time, those connections can be difficult to establish.
“You need to be able to track the history of somebody,” Bliss said. “Without the screenings, there’s nothing to go back on.”
Even with Pennsylvania’s cancer presumption law, Bliss said claims are often denied due to a lack of documentation. While some departments now track hazardous exposures at fire scenes, that system is relatively new — leaving many longtime firefighters without the records needed to support a claim.
For volunteer firefighters in particular, access to screenings remains inconsistent and often depends on grants or limited municipal support.
“These people are putting their lives on the line for free, and then they’re having to pay to get screenings done,” Bliss said. “That’s not right.”
What’s Next
Ciresi, whose district includes Royersford and Limerick, said the bill is intended as a practical way to support both volunteer and career firefighters across Pennsylvania, where departments have struggled with declining volunteer numbers and limited resources.
“We’ve been looking for things that we should be able to give to the 33,000 volunteer firefighters we have in the state, and the paid firefighters” he said. “This is something, at least, that we can give back to them.”
He emphasized that the proposal has drawn bipartisan support, with lawmakers across party lines recognizing the risks firefighters take.
“This isn’t a political issue by any stretch of the imagination,” Ciresi said. “Everyone is one when it comes to this, and everyone we've spoken to so far seems to be supportive of it.”
Ciresi said he hopes to move the bill quickly through committee and onto the House floor, though the timeline will depend on legislative leadership. He also encouraged residents to contact their representatives and voice support as the measure advances.
Local officials say they plan to continue working together to push the bill forward in the coming months, framing it as an early step toward broader support for first responders across the state.
