Simon Lund was on the frontline of some of the country’s worst fire disasters, dedicating his life to protecting communities across Victoria.
Simon joined the CFA in 1998, after a stint in the navy was cut short by a knee injury.
Like so many of the brave men and women on the frontline, for him it wasn’t just a job – it was a calling.
For more than a quarter of a century, he responded to Victoria’s biggest fire emergencies, helping to save lives and property.
But in his greatest time of need, he was let down by what legal experts have described as a ‘legislative flaw’.
Simon was diagnosed with stage-4 oesophageal cancer last year.
Due to a legal loophole, the 56-year-old spent his last days fighting for compensation.
Victoria’s presumptive legislation makes it simpler for firefighters to access to Workcover entitlements, by ‘presuming’ the disease is related to work.
But because Simon worked for the CFA in an IT role, he wasn’t covered by those rules.
It meant he had to spend precious time proving he had been exposed to cancer-causing substances.
Now his widow is continuing his fight for legislative change, to ensure other families don’t face the same burden.
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