Gov. Ned Lamont stopped by a fire station in Hartford Wednesday with a lifesaving message.

Firefighters can now collect full wage replacement benefits - similar to workers compensation - if they get cancer.

Instead of municipalities paying out the money, it will come from a $5 million firefighter cancer relief fund.

An alarming number of firefighters are getting sick, partly due to newer building materials.

"They won't have to worry about medical bills piling up at home because those will be covered, and they won't have to worry about accessing disability retirement if they're no longer able to work," said Peter Brown, Uniformed Firefighters of Connecticut union president.

Firefighters fought for the new benefits for several years.