Firefighter Who Inspired Presumption Law Succumbs to Cancer

Friday, May 26, 2017 | 0

The Beachwood fire captain who inspired the governor into signing a cancer presumption law died Wednesday following a two-year bout with aggressive brain cancer.

Michael Palumbo
(Facebook photo)

Michael Palumbo is survived by a wife of 23 years and five children ranging in age from 8 to 21, cleveland.com reported.

Gov. John Kasich signed the Michael Louis Palumbo Jr. Act into law in January to provide a cancer presumption to firefighters assigned to hazardous duty for six or more years and if they can prove exposure to high-level carcinogens while on the job.

The law went into effect in April, but the House voted May 17 to erode some of its provisions by adding new restrictions. They include that cancer claims can be rebutted based on scientific evidence and a lowered amount of time that a presumptive diagnosis applies, from 20 years to 15 years, cleveland.com reported.

The bill is now before the Senate.

A 2013 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that 68% of firefighters get cancer — a risk about 45% higher than for members of the general public.