Omaha council proclaims January Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month; family describes gaps in benefits

The Omaha City Council on its first meeting of 2026 adopted a proclamation recognizing January 2026 as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and honored firefighter Matthew “Matt” McDonnell for 18 years of service.

Stacy McDonnell, who identified herself for the record and said she spoke on behalf of her family, described her husband’s terminal cancer diagnosis and asked the council to sustain attention and support for firefighters and their families. "Cancer was never something we expected to be a part of his story, but it's now a reality for us and far too many firefighters," she said.

Trevor Towey, identified as president of Omaha Professional Firefighter Local 6005, thanked the council for the proclamation and commended McDonnell’s service. Stacy McDonnell urged the council to move beyond words: she noted Nebraska legislative LB 432 (the Firefighter Cancer Benefit Act), described it as voluntary for cities and said, "Since it was implemented $0 have been paid out to support firefighters like Matt and families like ours." She also said the current Omaha fire contract "does not currently provide long term health insurance for dependents of line of duty deaths," adding that when a firefighter dies in the line of duty "the same month our children lose their dad, they're going to lose health insurance."

The proclamation, read aloud by the presiding officer, cited studies linking firefighting exposures to elevated cancer risk and named the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Firefighters Cancer Support Network as partners in recognizing the month. The council formally recognized the month and honored McDonnell as part of the record; Stacy McDonnell asked for continued policy attention to prevention, clean gear practices, early detection and family supports.

No formal ordinance or contract change was adopted during the portion of the meeting in which her remarks were heard. The record in the provided transcript shows only the proclamation and testimony; any policy or contract changes would require separate agenda action and are not recorded in these segments.