They'll have plenty of other things to worry about. I do not want to use this in any way, shape or form as leverage over firefighters. Hepatitis C is a virus that can cause liver failure or liver cancer. The illness is most commonly transmitted by blood. It can also be contracted through intravenous drug use.
Firefighters now wear protective gloves or face shields when they respond to rescues.
But until 12 years ago, such precautions were not standard. The hepatitis crisis came to the attention of Local 22 several years ago. Union leaders noticed that they did not have enough money in the union's health and welfare fund to cover costs. Officials of Local 22 said the union had no idea that Street was going to allocate the emergency money until yesterday's news conference. Earlier this month, the union issued a vote of no-confidence against Hairston, the first time such an action had been taken against a fire chief since the union was founded in 1918.