A wealth of research has proven the nexus between firefighting and the significantly increased risk of specific cancers. In 2022, FENZ agreed to a health monitoring programme designed to pick up any changes in key baselines for early diagnosis which is necessary for better long-term outcomes.
The NZPFU has organised medical providers to undertake the health monitoring throughout the country. In the first 18 months of the programme firefighters were diagnosed with occupational cancers who would not otherwise have been tested. For some that meant better treatment options and return to the trucks. Others are still undergoing treatment.
The cost of the testing varies but FENZ is refusing to increase the reimbursement to the actual costs of the health monitoring for the firefighters. This means that some firefighters will not be tested every year because they cannot afford to.
