The Wade Cannon Act (Texas House Bill 198) establishes new statutory requirements for occupational cancer screening for firefighters in our state. Under this law, political subdivisions that employ firefighters must offer confidential, occupational cancer screenings beginning in the fifth year of service and annually thereafter at no cost to the firefighter. The screenings must include tests for cancer and related components such as urine, pulmonary function, and blood panels, among others.

For Texas fire departments, this has immediate implications:

• A legislative mandate for occupational health exams with a focus on cancer screening

• New Funding challenges

• Expectations for earlier detection, intervention as well as questions about what screening tests are the most appropriate and/or cost effective

• Compliance related issues if cancer-focused health programs are incomplete or inconsistent

Front Line Mobile Health is built for this. Our programs are designed to meet the spirit and intent of the Wade Cannon Act for cancer, while also addressing cardiovascular and behavioral health risk through integrated, physician-led medical evaluations that protect firefighters and the departments that lead them. Our core team is composed of former military medical providers, and most of our support personnel are all connected to the military or public safety by a family member. This shared understanding separates us in the marketplace. Over the last 20 years, our team has spent much of their lives separated from their families, serving overseas or in extended training rotations, providing good medicine in bad places. These shared experiences have helped us create a relationship of trust, understanding, and empathy with our public safety brethren because we understand what it means to serve.