Police fire scene investigators face same health risks as firefighters

October 12, 2026 — 5:00am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

No gift articles left

You've used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.

Firefighters in NSW are automatically covered if they develop cancers. Not so members of NSW Police who investigate fires. They have to prove the dangerous work caused their illness.

It is a ridiculous anomaly laid bare by the Herald’s Riley Walter in his heart-wrenching article tracing the experience of crime scene investigators Mark Bransgrove and Stephen Horn. Both died from bladder cancer after many decades of service.

Bransgrove worked in crime scene investigations for 17 years; Horn spent 44 years in the job.

NSW Police overhauled its policies in the early 2000s and........

© The Sydney Morning Herald