---
title: "BC NDP commits to three-year reviews of firefighter cancer coverage"
description: "David Eby pledged on October 21 to review which cancers qualify for presumptive WorkSafeBC coverage every three years, working with BC Cancer and firefighter organizations."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-ndp-firefighters-presumptive-illness-review-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-22T14:32:45.961Z"
---

The BC NDP pledged on October 21 to review which cancers qualify for presumptive WorkSafeBC coverage for firefighters every three years, working with BC Cancer, firefighter organizations, and health officials, according to Voice Online.

Under the current system, when a firefighter develops a recognized cancer that meets eligibility requirements, WorkSafeBC presumes the illness is work-related unless evidence proves otherwise. The NDP says this removes the burden of proving the disease came from the job.

As of March 2026, the province covers 26 cancers under this framework. Eight cancers were added in that March expansion, building on coverage that previously stood at 18. According to the NDP's own announcement, firefighters make up 0.5 percent of the British Columbia workforce but accounted for 35 percent of WorkSafeBC cancer claims filed between 2010 and 2025. Those figures come from the party and have not been independently verified.

The new commitment is a process, not an immediate expansion. A re-elected NDP government would bring together the Ministry of Labour, BC Cancer, WorkSafeBC, the Ministry of Health, medical experts, and firefighter organizations to review coverage on a fixed three-year schedule.

BC NDP leader [David Eby](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/david-eby) said: "Working with firefighters, we are recognizing those risks by adding eight cancers to presumptive coverage this year. We are also reviewing coverage every three years with BC Cancer to ensure new scientific evidence informs our decisions and firefighters continue to have the protections they deserve."

[Todd Schierling](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/todd-schierling), the NDP candidate for Delta North and president of the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Association, supported the announcement. "Disease science continues to develop, and we need a regular process to make sure our protections keep up," he said. "Committing to a review every three years means we won't have to wait for firefighters to push for another review when new evidence emerges."

The Firefighters' Health Act already requires an assessment of coverage by April 2027. The NDP says the three-year review process would go beyond that requirement and continue past it.

Voice Online's report does not include a response from the BC Conservatives or the BC Greens on this commitment. voche.me has not found a statement from either party on this specific pledge at the time of writing.

Voters who are firefighters, or who have a family member in the profession, can factor this commitment into their decision before Saturday, October 24, the day of the provincial election.

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