Firefighters and council discussed state-required medical testing and optional cancer screening packages at the Aug. 14 budget workshop.
Why it matters: Interim Fire Chief Burnside told the council that recent state legislation includes requirements that municipalities offer annual physicals and that a separate bill requires cancer screening for firefighters with five or more years of service. "The House bill states that the 525 column is required annually," the chief said, referring to the handout of package options. "The caveat with the House Bill … the town is not required to have that cancer screening for that fireman until they have 5 years in service."
What staff proposed: The chief explained three vendor package levels in a handout. Staff recommended the mid-level package (about $650 per firefighter per year in the handout) because it includes targeted cancer screening for cancers with elevated incidence among firefighters (thyroid, prostate, testicular, lymphomas, esophageal). The chief said the town currently has 13 firefighters; seven already meet the five-year threshold for the cancer-screening requirement. He projected the incremental cost relative to existing onboarding physicals would be roughly $400 per veteran firefighter and about $275 for newer hires depending on which package is selected.
Insurance and grant questions: Council members asked whether the town’s group health insurance would cover tests. The chief said preventative well visits are covered by insurance at 100 percent but some specialized tests likely are not, and relying on individual insurance could create logistical and compliance problems when the town needs to verify screenings by specific deadlines. He said staff will check with the town’s insurance carrier about which specific tests would be covered and report back at the next meeting. Staff also noted that some of the initial screening costs had been covered by grants (University Health System and other training grants) and that the town had recently received a $10,000 grant from University Health System that could offset some EMS or medical supply costs.
Discussion and council direction: Council members asked whether the town could make different screening packages contingent on years of service (the chief said replacing current onboarding physicals with the $625–$650 package would meet legal requirements and that the town could use a phased approach for firefighters with less than five years of service). Council did not adopt any budget appropriation at the workshop; staff will follow up with the insurer and return with a recommendation at the next budget session.
Ending: Staff will check insurance coverage for the cancer-screening components, provide updated cost estimates tied to the town’s insurance plan, and present options in the next workshop; no formal decision or vote was taken.