Firefighter’s widow calls for action

WELLINGTON: A firefighter’s widow who only got the State to pay compensation after her husband died is calling on the Government to take action.

The case of Brett How, of Hastings, who died aged 54 early last year, is believed to be the first where ACC has treated a firefighter’s lung cancer as workrelated.

Cherie Flintoff says her husband asked her to push for New Zealand to follow Canada and Australia in recognising a range of cancers in this way.

‘‘We discussed this while he was sick and I said to him, ‘Do you want me to keep pushing this for others?’ He said, ‘Yes, I do. I want to keep helping others, I want this recognised’,’’ she said.

She has joined with the Professional Firefighters Union’s campaign, which presented its case for a law change to the Government on Wednesday.

Mr How had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2017. He died eight months later in January 2018.

International research has established firefighters die of many cancers at much higher rates than most people.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is an ACCaccredited employer.

‘‘All employees are given information about the process to lodge a claim for any workrelated injury or illness,’’ the corporation said in a statement.

‘‘We work through these claims . . . as required and provide support to assist their rehabilitation and return to work. All claims are managed in accordance with the ACC Act.’’

This was not the case for Remutaka firefighter Erroll Tapiki, who said he was not advised he could claim ACC when he got prostate cancer in 2014.

Ms Flintoff had a different, but equally disheartening experience.

‘‘We were told we could apply for ACC but we may as well not bother — that was from someone in the Fire Service — because they didn’t expect any cases to be successful.’’

She and Mr How applied anyway. It took months of work to assemble the case, arguing the cancer was workrelated, but it succeeded.

Ms Flintoff got a funeral’s grant, a widow’s grant and an exgratia payment of more than $100,000 — ‘‘that only came through in the last few weeks’’, more than a year after Mr How’s death.

The system as it stood demanded too much, especially of young families of an ill firefighter, she said.

‘‘And what most people don’t realise is the biggest risk they face is dying of cancer.’’ — RNZ

❛ I said to him, ‘Do you want me to keep pushing this for others?’