Some NIOSH employees are going back to work -- but likely only temporarily.
Among employees called to return are involved in the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention and coal minor health programs. Reports indicate they have until June 2.
U.S. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, wrote in a statement Tuesday: “Based on conversations I’ve had with folks on the ground in Morgantown and at (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), I am encouraged that some NIOSH functions for coal miner and firefighter safety are slated to resume with some select staff returning to work this week."
On Sunday night, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised firefighters for their dedication in a statement on X, adding that previously axed programs would be reinstated.
However, two workers who received calls to return to their jobs told Politico that they were requested to come back to “close out” the work they had been doing. They are part of the team that tracks cancer and monitors health of 9/11 responders and survivors.
“Everyone is very suspicious that this is just being done to create the appearance that HHS is addressing concerns. But programs will still be effectively eliminated in June," one employee told the reporter.
The firefighter fatality investigation program and the coal workers health program are the two selected for a brief reprieve, possibly because they've been in the media spotlight, according to Cathy Tinney-Zara, president of AFGE Local 3430.
“This action, though temporary, allows these dedicated professionals to return to their critical roles in advancing worker safety and health across the country,” she said in a statement.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly said he had been in weekly contact with the White House over the past 100 days about firefighter issues.
"It was explained to me that the Reduction in Force (RIF) ordered by a White House Executive Order was misinterpreted by “mid-level bureaucrats,” and our programs – which Secretary Kennedy assured me were “critical” – would continue. Secretary Kennedy and I also discussed meaningful ways to improve the programs to better serve our members," Kelly wrote in a memo Tuesday.
Susan Nicol | News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.
