When Christian Bittrolff, president of the Yellowknife Firefighters Association, thinks about the late firefighter Greg Pratt, he's reminded of how hard it can be for a first responder to get medical coverage.
Pratt was diagnosed with a rare form of bile duct cancer in 2021 and died in 2023. Although his treatment went well and he lived longer than what was first anticipated, Pratt, according to Bittrolff, did not want to pursue getting further coverage through Workers' Safety and Compensation (WSCC), as it would have been overly tedious, especially considering his ongoing health battles.
"Having that fight, or even going down the WSCC route of looking to see if this is going to be covered, is the last thing you want to think about," he said.
A new bill being brought forward in the legislative assembly on Thursday is meant to change that.
Three regular MLAs stood alongside Bittrolff at the Yellowknife Fire Hall on Monday to announce what's called the First Responder Workers' Compensation Amendment Act. It's a private member's bill intended to make it easier for first responders to access workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and expand cancer and heart disease coverage for firefighters.
In July 2022, , meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes cancer. That, according to what this amendment argues, has had significant implications for occupational health policies, including presumptive workers' compensation laws.
Presumptive coverage in workers' compensation means that certain illnesses or injuries, like specific cancers for firefighters, are automatically assumed to be work-related, making it easier for affected workers to access benefits without having to prove the cause.
In Pratt's instance, he was involved in fighting a fire that destroyed Fitzgerald Carpeting, which had many other chemicals and products stored there, Bittrolff said.
"The exposure on that single event alone is concerning," said Bittrolff, adding it potentially could have been linked to what caused Pratt's diagnosis.
The bill also emphasizes coverage for mental health, specifically PTSD.
According to the , before the pandemic, statistics showed that between 12 and 23 per cent of first responders would experience PTSD at some point in their lives, depending on their specific role and location.
"Just like cancer, where we need to start thinking of mental health that way, early detection and early resolving with that issue results in better outcomes, which everybody benefits from," said Bittrolff.
Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart is one of the bill's co-sponsors. He's being backed by Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Tu Nedhe-Wiiliideh MLA Richard Edjericon.
Testart said he's been in discussion with Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Vince McKay, who's supportive of the issue.
"I think the issue we're facing right now is the ministers' timelines are quite slow and we're looking at a year-plus to see the changes," Testart added. Bittrolff said he's been lobbying for PTSD coverage for more than a decade.
Volunteer firefighters would also be covered by this legislation, Testart added.
The NWT and Nunavut are the only two jurisdictions that do not provide presumptive coverage for PTSD to first responders, according to the proposed legislation. Though some cancers are listed in the current Workers' Compensation Act, there are nine others which, although provided in most other jurisdictions, are not here, the bill adds.
Bittrolff said he will be at the legislative assembly on Thursday to show his support for the bill. He added that he's expecting to be joined by other parties such corrections officers, firefighters, nurses and emergency dispatchers.
If the bill passes, it would come into effect on Oct. 27, 2026. To qualify, a firefighter would need to have worked for two years.
"Healthy firefighters are effective firefighters," said Bittrolff. "The faster we can get them to be healthy, potentially, that's where we should be investing our time and effort, not into filling out paperwork."
