WHEREAS, Philadelphia firefighters and fire paramedics continue to put their lives on the line each day to protect 1.5 million residents of our city; and
WHEREAS, At least 130 of our firefighters and fire paramedics, or nearly six percent (6%) of the approximately 2100 who were tested, have tested positive for Hepatitis C, a rate which is three times higher than the national average; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is a liver infection that kills up to 10,000 Americans each year with expectations that the number will increase to approximately 30,000 per year at the end of this decade; and
WHEREAS, Many firefighters and their families are experiencing severe financial problems due to the huge costs of prescriptions and other medical expenses; and
WHEREAS, Recently, Mayor John Street agreed to allocate three million ($3,000,000) dollars to the firefighters union to help defray the escalating health care costs that they union’s health & welfare fund has been required to pay for the treatment of firefighters afflicted with hepatitis C; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that the City continue to investigate the circumstances which led to the exposure of so many firefighters to this deadly disease and to make a prompt determination on whether to categorize this disease, which continues to inflict anguish and financial hardships on our courageous firefighters and their families, as “work related;” therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes the City Council’s Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold hearings to monitor the actions of City officials in addressing the effects of the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus on Philadelphia Firefighters who have been exposed to the virus during the course of their employment.
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