Plymouth man inspires Tony’s Law

July 28--PLYMOUTH -- A new law protecting state firefighters honors a Plymouthl firefighter who could have used it the most.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed a disability benefits law Tuesday that will forever be known as the Tony Colarusso Law.

Colarusso, a Manomet native, died in 2015 of cancer connected to his work as a firefighter.

Baker handed Colarusso's mother, Sharmon, the pen he used after signing the law during ceremonies at a fire station in Lynn.

The Colarusso family was invited to the ceremonies by the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, who have been working on the new legislation since Colarusso was stricken.

"There have been hundreds of firefighters across Massachusetts who have battled cancer, both in the past and now, but there was one that motivated us. It was firefighter Tony Colarusso," Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts President Rich MacKinnon said in remarks at the signing.

The new law allows firefighters who are temporarily incapacitated for work due to certain forms of cancer to leave with full pay while they deal with the illness.

There wasn't any such protection for Colarusso when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2014. He started chemotherapy that summer, but was forced to go on medical leave when he started his treatment and eventually ran out of sick time and vacation days. He spent 93 days without a paycheck or insurance.

He died in October 2015 at 39.

"We made it our mission that no firefighter and their family should have to worry about losing a paycheck and insurance when they need it most," MacKinnon said in welcoming the family to the signing. "From this point forward, this bill will be named the Tony Colarusso Law, so that no firefighter will have to endure what your son went through."

Sharmon Colarusso said it was an emotional and bittersweet day.

"Tony always said I just don't want any other firefighter or first responder to have to worry about what I've been through; that bothered him greatly, more than what he was going through," Colarusso said of her son.

She said she was gratified to know that before his death her son helped work on language included in the new law, which benefits 13,000 firefighters across the state and generations to come.

James Brown, president of the local firefighters' union, shared the Colarusso family's mixture of pride and sorrow.

Brown said the union tried to reason with town officials to provide help for Colarusso, but ultimately had to press for a change in the law when diplomacy failed.

The new law treats cancers the same as an injury sustained by falling through the roof of a building at a fire scene, as an on duty injury that doesn't affect sick time or vacation.

"Never again will a firefighter run out of benefits fighting cancer," said Brown.

Brown said local firefighters were proud to carry the torch, calling the resulting new law historic and probably the biggest legislation for state firefighters since the late 1980s, when certain cancers were first deemed job-related.

"To us it's horrible that it happened, but we know that it didn't happen in vain. We were able to make something good out of it and Tony now has a legacy for the 13,000 Massachusetts firefighters and those who come," Brown said.

Reach Rich Harbert at [email protected]

___

(c)2018 The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.

Visit The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass. at www.patriotledger.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.