By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• Washington, D.C. — Congress passed the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, recognizing occupational canceras a line-of-duty death (or qualifying disability) for public safety officers; the bill now heads to the President. FireRescue1
• Vote & vehicle: The measure rode in the NDAA and cleared Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support(House 312–0, Senate 77–0). FireRescue1
• Who’s covered: Establishes a presumption for 20 listed cancers (plus WTC-related cancers) when exposure occurred on duty, with ≥5 years of service and diagnosis within 15 years of last service. Extends PSOB death, disability, and education benefits. FireRescue1
• What’s next: Signature expected; DOJ/PSOB will implement eligibility and claims guidance. FireRescue1

WASHINGTON — Fire service advocates scored a long-sought federal change Thursday as Congress approved the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, recognizing specified occupational cancers as line-of-duty deaths (or qualifying permanent disabilities) under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. The legislation traveled in the National Defense Authorization Act and now awaits the President’s signature. FireRescue1

The bill—backed by the IAFF and a coalition of police and fire organizations—creates a presumption that certain cancers are duty-related when key conditions are met: the exposure happened while performing official duties; the member had at least five years of service before diagnosis; and the diagnosis occurred within 15 years of the last active service date. The text enumerates 20 cancers and sweeps in any cancer recognized as a World Trade Center–related health condition. For eligible cases, the law extends PSOB death and educational assistance to survivors and disability benefits to officers rendered permanently and totally disabled. FireRescue1

Union leaders framed the vote as a “turning point,” saying it ends years of families having to prove a single, specific exposure to qualify for federal benefits—often an impossible standard given the cumulative nature of fireground and overhaul exposures. The measure advanced with lopsided bipartisan margins—312–0 in the House and 77–0 in the Senate—after a sustained push during the IAFF’s 2025 legislative conference. FireRescue1

Once signed, the Department of Justice is expected to issue guidance aligning PSOB claims with the new presumption and timelines. Departments and families should watch for implementation details on documentation requirements, lists of covered cancers, and how existing claims may be reevaluated. FireRescue1

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• Camden, N.J. — Firefighters avoided being caught in a structural collapse while knocking down a predawn blaze at a vacant home on South 8th Street. FireRescue1
• Timeline: Crews arrived ~4:45 a.m. and had the fire under control by 5:21 a.m. FireRescue1
• Injuries/Damage: No civilian injuries or fatalities. One firefighter suffered a minor injury from slipping on ice. The front, side wall and roof collapsed; no nearby structures were affected. FireRescue1
• Cause: Intense fire conditions likely contributed to the collapse; origin and cause remain under investigation.FireRescue1

CAMDEN, N.J. — Camden firefighters confronted heavy fire conditions at a vacant residence early Wednesday and pulled back in time to avoid a structural failure that brought down parts of the building as crews moved to a defensive posture, city officials said. FireRescue1

Companies were dispatched to 1652 South 8th Street just before dawn and placed the fire under control by 5:21 a.m.Despite the collapse of the front and side wall and sections of the roof, there were no civilian injuries, and exposure buildings did not sustain damage. One firefighter incurred a minor injury after slipping on ice at the scene. FireRescue1

Images captured by a nearby resident showed flames and smoke venting from multiple openings prior to the collapse. Officials said the intensity of the blaze and other factors likely led to the failure; the exact cause of the fire and collapse remains under investigation. FireRescue1

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• Brooklyn, N.Y. (Kensington) — A five-alarm fire tore through the Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery, triggering a partial collapse that trapped and burned an FDNY firefighter before crews freed him; he’s now stable. FireRescue1+1
• Fire began just before 2 a.m., Dec. 17 near the ovens and spread through stacked matzah boxes; 3 civilians(including a 2-year-old) were treated for smoke inhalation. FireRescue1+1
• FDNY fought the blaze for nearly nine hours with ~175 personnel; DOB issued a full vacate order due to extensive damage and a partially collapsed roof; cause under investigation. FireRescue1+1

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — FDNY crews battled heavy fire and structural instability for nearly nine hours after flames ripped through the Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery in the Kensington section of Brooklyn early Wednesday, injuring four people including a firefighter who was briefly trapped in a rear wall collapse, officials said. FireRescue1

The blaze broke out just before 2 a.m. on Dec. 17 at 1285 36th Street, igniting near the bakery ovens before racing into stacked boxes of matzah and product, according to FDNY and local reports. More than 175 firefighters and EMSconverged as smoke conditions intensified and companies pushed to the roof. During those operations, a rear portion of the building collapsed, pinning a member who was quickly extricated. He suffered burns to his hands and possible airway/respiratory burns and was hospitalized in stable condition, Assistant Chief Mike Woods said. FireRescue1+1

Three civilians, including a 2-year-old, were treated for smoke inhalation—one adult with a more serious respiratory injury—and were listed as stable, officials said. The Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order citing extensive fire damage and a partially collapsed roof, with some adjacent properties also affected. FDNY fire marshals are investigating the cause. ABC7 New York

Editor’s note: The bakery, which traces its operations back more than a century and produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of matzah annually, was heavily damaged. No additional firefighter injuries were reported beyond the initial member rescued after the collapse. ABC7 New York