Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits are being expanded for volunteer firefighters in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan government said Thursday 6,500 volunteer firefighters will have access to the same presumptive coverage as their professional counterparts.
“We thank firefighters for the work they do every day to keep us safe,” Don Morgan, the province’s labour relations and workplace safety minister, said in a statement.
“We are extending presumptive coverage to volunteer firefighters to make it easier for them to access the supports they need.”
Legislation to expand presumptive coverage for professional firefighters was introduced this past December.
It includes six additional cancers – prostate, skin, breast, cervical and ovarian cancer as well as multiple myeloma.
Applicants applying for workers’ compensation will have to provide a diagnosis and other required information from a medical professional to support their claim.
These changes will come into force on the proclamation of Bill 165, the Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act.