20 yrs after retirement, state says fighterfighter died in line of duty

By Kari Barrows

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A state commission has ruled a retired firefighter’s death as a “Line of Duty Death,” marking a historic moment for North Carolina firefighters.

A spokesperson for the Asheville Fire Department (AFD) announced on Tuesday that the North Carolina Industrial Commission had ruled AFD Engineer Jim Knoupf’s death from cancer as a line of duty death.

Knoupf passed away on Aug. 31, 2021, 20 years after his retirement.

“This is historic as it is the first time that a North Carolina firefighter’s death has been ruled in the line of duty without their cancer diagnosis occurring while they were an active firefighter,” Public Information Officer Kelley Klope said in a press release. “This is a big victory for our department and the NC fire service, especially our retirees.”

A Line of Duty Death ruling means surviving family members will receive benefits.

According to research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), firefighters have a 9% percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population.

Klope with the Asheville Fire Department says cancer awareness and prevention is the department’s “highest priority.”

“AFD has unfortunately been greatly impacted by significant health issues among our very own members which serve as a huge catalyst to continue our goals of enhancing our efforts to purchase items and to develop guidelines that will continue to assist in cancer prevention,” she said in Tuesday’s press release.

North Carolina’s recently signed state budget includes a provision that takes firefighters from having the fewest to some of the strongest cancer protections in the country.

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