Firefighters Want Benefits if Sickened in Pandemic

Thursday, July 16, 2020 | 0

Firefighters in one Texas city are urging officials to accept COVID-19 claims as compensable, work-related injuries, even without a statewide presumption law.

Although no firefighters in Bryan, Texas, have been diagnosed with the disease, they told the City Council Tuesday night that they are concerned that claims won't be covered as the virus spreads.

“We are seeing our brothers and sisters who are first responders as well, like police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, that are being exposed (at) a high rate to COVID-19,″ said Bryan Fire Fighter Association President Daniel Buford, according to a local news report.

Texas has not passed a law or rule that would presume that virus claims are work-related for frontline workers, unlike 14 other states. State comp law, amended in 2019, does cover respiratory diseases for first responders, but a “statistically positive correlation” with work duties must be shown.

Firefighters in Bryan, a city of 86,000 near the home of Texas A&M University, said the law should be enough for the city to provide workers' compensation benefits to stricken responders.

“Follow the rules that have been put forth to protect your first responders,” Buford told the City Council.

Until now, the fire workers that have been quarantined for 14 days because of coronavirus tests or symptoms have had to use their sick leave to avoid losing pay. After discussions with firefighters, the city agreed to consider that time off as administrative leave with pay to preserve officers' personal leave, the newspaper reported.

Now, the city should also agree to workers' comp benefits, Buford said.

“If the worst-case scenario happens where I develop some kind of issue with my lungs, where I can not wear a breathing apparatus, I want to know that I will be protected by workers’ comp,” said Buford.