Boston Fire Department Faces Loss of $1.4 Million Cancer Screening Grant by September

BOSTON -- May 11, 2026, Boston City Council questions fire department on $1.4 million cancer screening funding gap. The Ways and Means Committee, chaired by District 6 Councilor Ben Weber, heard from newly installed Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall and department staff Monday on the FY2027 operating budget, with the sharpest exchanges focused on the lapse of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant that has funded cancer screenings, comprehensive body scans, and mental health services since 2017. Deputy Commissioner Kevin Coyne confirmed the department did not receive a federal FY24 AFG award and that without replacement funding, those programs, which screened 587 firefighters for skin cancer, found two melanomas, and identified cardiovascular risk in 413 of 637 members who received body scans, will end by September 2026. "In our world, being a firefighter is the symptom," said Local 718 President Sam Dillon, the sole public commenter, calling the $1.4 million "a lot less" than early-detection savings. Councilor Ed Flynn called for a budget supplemental, while Councilor Aaron Murphy said she would push the mayor to find the money outside the council's amendment process, and Weber cautioned against drawing on reserves given Boston's AAA bond rating.