TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on the passage of SB 1092 by Senator Aaron Bean, which passed the Senate today and heads to the House for final passage. The legislation builds on CFO and State Fire Marshal Patronis’ cancer prevention initiative to protect Florida’s firefighters from this deadly disease.   CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “The Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Equipment Grant Program bill passed off the Senate floor and is heading to the House chamber for final passage. This bill will create a grant program within the Department of Financial Services to help protect the health and safety of firefighters by providing financial aid to mitigate exposure to hazardous, cancer-causing chemicals. I thank our bill sponsors, Senator Aaron Bean and Representative Elizabeth Fetterhoff, for their support of this critical legislation.”   Fire Prevention and Control   • Establishes the Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Equipment Grant Program within the DFS Division of State Fire Marshal to protect health and safety of firefighters by providing equipment, training and supplies to mitigate exposure to cancer-causing contaminants. • Cancer prevention for Florida firefighters is critical and that is the focus of this grant program—ensuring our firefighters have what they need to mitigate exposure to hazardous, cancer-causing chemicals and to protect their health. • The Department would be required to adopt rules and procedures for the program, including for the approval of applications and development of need-based criteria, which would include a minimum 25 percent match of non-state funding by grant recipient.   For more information on the bills please visit: SB 1092 and HB 487.