Existing law establishes the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program, pursuant to which the Legislature requests the University of California, in consultation with the FIRESCOPE Program, to develop and administer a competitive grant program to award grants to eligible educational institutions to conduct research on the California fire service using a community-based participatory research model in collaboration with California firefighters. Existing law requires research conducted by program grantees to include, but not be limited to, understanding biomarkers of exposure that quantify chemical carcinogens absorbed and metabolized by firefighters and studying biomarkers of effect that quantify cancer-promoting cellular changes that ultimately lead to a cancer diagnosis.
This bill would prohibit a city, county, or city and county from preventing a firefighter or fire department from voluntarily participating in a study undertaken pursuant to the above-described provisions, including allowing access to facilities and the use of equipment for the purposes of the terms of the grant.