New Legislation Would Provide Death Benefit to Firefighter’s Widow

FALL RIVER - The widow of a Fall River firefighter who died of brain cancer may receive an accidental death benefit under newly filed legislation.

The State House News Service says Fall River State Representative Carole Fiola and Westport State Senator Michael Rodrigues have jointly filed a bill that would grant Angela Franco about $29,000 a year for the death of Adam Franco in 2015.

Franco was a Fall River Firefighter who died of brain cancer at the age of 32.

Current state law states that cancer that develops after a firefighter begins work is presumed to have been caused by the firefighter's duties, unless a firefighter was at work fewer than five years when the cancer was discovered. Rep. Fiola says Franco had "slipped away from the mandated five years of diagnosis."

Fall River Fire Chief John Lynch told lawmakers of Franco, "I know some of the stuff that he was subjected to, so there's no doubt in my mind how he got this brain cancer."