Firefighter’s Death From Cancer Ruled ‘Line Of Duty’; 1st in MN

MAPLE GROVE, MN — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety issued a landmark decision last month when it ruled a Maple Grove firefighter’s death from cancer was in the line of duty.

Captain Michael Paidar was a paid-on-call firefighter at Maple Grove Station 5 and a full-time firefighter and medic for the St. Paul Fire Department when he died in August 2020 from acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer. He was 53.

Maple Grove Fire Chief Tim Bush said Paidar was “a great teacher” with a “great sense of humor” and “larger-than-life” personality, CCX Media reports.

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Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington in late October approved an application from Paidar’s wife to receive benefits reserved for families of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty.

Eligibility for line-of-duty death benefits “historically … has not included a death from cancer,” but medical studies have linked firefighters’ service to an increased risk of developing leukemia, Harrington wrote to Paidar’s wife.

Paidar worked 15 years as a full-time firefighter and nine years as an on-call firefighter, Harrington wrote. His service included responding to more than 1,350 fire incidents, 1,600 fire runs and 4,800 EMS runs, he said.

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“Having been in law enforcement for nearly 40 years, I understand the dangers facing public safety officers each day. And it appears that in your husband’s case, the danger was not an immediate one,” Harrington wrote. “As such, I believe his death falls within the intended definition of ‘killed in the line of duty’ recognized by this state and will be certified as such.”

“Your husband served the citizens of this state for many years,” Harrington continued. “His dedication to their safety will not be forgotten.”

The St. Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21 union called Harrington’s ruling a “historical first,” as Minnesota had never recognized the death of a public safety from cancer as being in the line of duty.