Minnesota DPS rules firefighter who lost cancer battle died in the line of duty
Captain Michael Paidar
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Public Safety ruled that a St. Paul firefighter who died from cancer died in the line of duty, the firefighter's union reported.
According to an announcement from IAFF Local 21, Captain Michael Paidar's death in the line of duty was recognized by the State of Minnesota in a decision made by DPS Commissioner John Harrington.
Paidar died from cancer on Aug. 26, 2020, succumbing to an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
"This is a historical first for the Minnesota fire service as a Public Safety Officer Death Benefit has never been awarded to a person that died from Cancer in the line of duty," IAFF Local 21 members wrote.