I am happy to welcome back the two founders of Hoods for Heroes, Jeff Rountree and Bill Hamilton. In Part I of their program, we learned how Jeff and Bill have dedicated the past year to providing new flash hoods, ones with a special weave, the precludes soot, toxins and carcinogens for passing through to the sensitive skin on our neck and face. Their foundation is raising funds from other foundations, corporate sponsors and others, to meet the goal of providing these hoods to every firefighter in the U.S.

In this second appearance, Jeff and Bill are here to answer two very important questions,
1. “Who pays for my cancer treatment if I am diagnosed?
2. Is there a way to financially prepare myself and/or my family?

As someone who was declared disabled at the age of 40, with a wife, two young children and a new house, I was lucky to have purchased a private disability policy at age 29. That policy saved my butt! Now ask yourself, with our strong Firefighter Cancer Initiative education and mitigation programs, do you have any idea of what happens if you receive a diagnosis of some type of cancer?

Joining Jeff and Bill is a friend Tanya, who firefighter husband was recently diagnosed with a Stage 4 cancer. Tanya, who had been in the insurance business until her husband’s illness, explains the financial “tornado” they find themselves in. They had thought that with her husband’s insurance policies through work, everything would have been taken care of. But that is not the case.

Jeff and Bill and explain how payments may work depending on your insurance coverage and tell us about a new program, “Living Benefits,” that provides funds for the patient and his/her family, and not necessarily for just a cancer diagnosis. Every first responder should listen to this podcast!