Tucson fire chief hopes cancer claim case sparks awareness, change for future firefighters

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two Tucson firefighters who battled cancer are finally having their workers’ compensation claims approved, after months of delays and initial denials. Both firefighters have since returned to active duty.

Tucson Fire Chief Sharon McDonough confirmed the claims were approved Tuesday night by Tucson City Council. The firefighters were previously diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that research shows is more common among firefighters due to regular exposure to carcinogens and toxic chemicals on the job.

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"Our job is to take good care of our people. These are men and women who will lay down their lives for complete strangers," McDonough says.

McDonough said she has seen several fellow firefighters face cancer diagnoses throughout her time in this career, some of whom were close personal friends and colleagues.

"It's devastating to watch that process," she explains. In response to the increased risk, the department has partnered with the University of Arizona to strengthen cancer prevention strategies.

"Our department has advanced tremendously in what we do to prevent cancer," McDonough explains, "We build our fire stations differently."

Firefighters also receive annual comprehensive physicals, including internal scans that allow for early detection of disease, "those physicals have allowed us to catch cancer in really early stages," McDonough says.

The process of getting the claims approved took longer than some firefighters hoped. “It was frustrating for us, frustrating for the union, but mostly frustrating for that firefighter because again at those moments you just want to focus on getting well. Your family is scared. You're scared. You’re nervous about what the future holds," McDonough says.

Eventually, they were approved, which McDonough says is worth celebrating. Both firefighters are now cancer-free and back on duty after undergoing medical evaluations confirming their readiness. “They still have to meet all the essential requirements that it takes to be on duty on the fire trucks, and they're pretty stringent, so they go through a physical and they determine their readiness, and then they get back to work.”

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.