Coconino News

City Of Glendale & Local Firefighters Association Enter Unprecedented Agreement

The city of Glendale and the Glendale Chapter of the United Phoenix Firefighters Association Local 493 have entered a first-of-its-kind Labor and Management Agreement to ensure that Glendale firefighters' presumptive cancer claims are accepted.

In a jointly signed agreement, the city and the Glendale Chapter agree that the current process outlined by Arizona state law and the city's workers' compensation policy for cancer claims will continue to be followed. However, if the third-party administrator denies a city of Glendale firefighter’s claim, the city will override the administrator for approval.

"This is truly a historic moment for our city and our firefighters. Cancer caused by our job is an epidemic among firefighters,” said President of the Glendale Chapter of the United Phoenix Firefighters Local 493 Arick O’Hara. “The city has made the courageous choice by guaranteeing firefighters who are diagnosed with cancer in the line of duty will have the insurance coverage needed."

Since presumptive cancer legislation first became a state law in 2019, Glendale has received four claims. The city accepted two claims outright following a third-party administrator's denial. The city also successfully entered into settlement agreements with the families of the other two claims.

"We are committed to doing what is in the best interest of our employees, their families, and the city," said City Manager Kevin Phelps. "It has been the priority and policy of my office and our City Council to review all presumptive cancer claims that have been denied and to set things right for these firefighters who have dedicated their lives to protecting Glendale. This agreement memorializes that commitment."

The letter also calls for Glendale staff to work with their labor partners to pass a state law that clarifies that any re-occurrence of cancer diagnosed during the old rules must be covered under the new law to ensure that firefighters and their families from across the state will have the same protections provided to firefighters in Glendale. 

Original source can be found here.