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The PFFPNC is our state IAFF association that is comprised of all the IAFF Locals from around NC. The PFFPNC works in Raleigh to push for pro-firefighter legislation. Local 947 has a seat on the PFFPNC Executive Board due to the size of our Local. Please read the below message from the PFFPNC regarding recent events around our cancer legislation.
Beginning in 2021-2022, Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina began lobbying for The Firefighters Fighting Cancer Act. The act would combine language from multiple states to create an insurance program to cover all types of cancers. During this time, NCSFA President Tim Bradely stated in the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission meeting that the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) possessed the best model, and the Firefighters Fighting Cancer Act mirrored the IAFF’s work in other states such as Florida and South Carolina. Other fire groups were advocating for the act as well. The PFFPNC wrote the language which included funding from the NC Fire Service’s Gross Premium Tax. NCSFA opposed any funding model which used the gross premium tax. They stated that using the gross premium tax was an attack on the NC Volunteer Workers Compensation Fund and told legislators inside the building that the fund could not afford it. However, in the same year, they advocated for departments in the NC Volunteer Workers Compensation Fund to receive a refund on their workers compensation premium. The fund has seen an over $8 million dollar increase from 2021.
During this time, NCSFA’s lobbyist Debbie Cleary, got into a disagreement with PFFPNC’s Political Director over using the gross premium tax to fund the act. This occurred in the House Rule’s office on April 13th, 2021. Cleary was the only member of NCSFA’s team present at the meeting. If you look back at the PFFPNC’s weekly newsletter, you can clearly see we reported on these facts throughout 2021; however, we did not report on funding mechanisms. The PFFPNC chose not to discuss NCSFA’s obstruction because PFFPNC leadership felt this would create a divide that could possibly turn legislators off to our much-needed cancer coverage.
In the 2021-2022 session, the pilot program passed with an appropriation of $15M ($7.5M/year). Once the Department of Insurance received the funds, they spent a currently unknown amount on using VFIS insurance without putting out an RFP. It should be noted that VFIS has a long history with NCSFA Executive Director Tim Bradley. It should be noted part of these funds were used to pay former NC Director to National Volunteer Fire Council Jeff Cash to teach cancer awareness and prevention courses.
In 2023, prior to the long session, the PFFPNC agreed to work with NCSFA on permanent funding for the cancer pilot with our friends in the Senate. NCSFA “came up with” a novel idea; fund the pilot with the gross premium tax. They claimed that this was solely their discovery (SFA claimed this again in their most recent letter they sent to all NC firefighters). We got our sponsors to file this bill, then helped usher this through the Senate with very minimal help, if any, from NCSFA.
We asked Debbie Cleary to collaborate with us on extending the Line of Duty Death benefit to cover additional cancers, but NCSFA was unwilling to. Their lobbyist stated they would work against it if it were added into the cancer program bill.
As session progressed, the House sat on Senator Johnson’s bill as leverage and left it sitting in House Rules. We had a Plan B which was to continue the pilot with the sole change being the restriction of hiring a private insurance. Once the conference report of the budget dropped and Plan B was in there, the number of cancers covered was limited down to 6. PFFPNC spent 3 straight days on fixing as the final preparations were made on the budget. NCSFA was NO WHERE to be found, we know because we were there. NCSFA Executive Director Bradley was out of state at a conference at the most important time of the session.
Simultaneously, PFFPNC was working to get permanent funding in a separate bill, had house and senate approval, and was minutes away from getting it done. But, due to NCSFA’s email/call blast because they were upset about the Fire Marshall being moved and that VFIS was no longer going to be able to administer the program, our provision for permanent funding was kicked out at the last minute and moved to short session. Thus, the call to action has a negative effect and cost NC Firefighters permanent funding for cancer presumption.
NCSFA continues to work to get the insurance back through technical corrections and has gone on a full assault against PFFPNC.
The PFFPNC is grateful to our friends in the House and Senate who have made looking out for firefighters and their families who suffer from occupational cancer a priority. We are advocating to keep using the gross premium tax to fund the legislation, as it was our original idea. We strongly believe the Department of Insurance is more than capable of handling the claims, but if a third party is needed, an RFP should be used to get the best provider at the best rate for the North Carolina Taxpayers. Additionally, we support separating the State Fire Marshal from the Department of Insurance. We believe the State Fire Marshal should have fire experience and more authority.
We will continue to advocate for our members, and we will continue working with our political friends to accomplish our goals.
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