# Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-205: Firefighters - Disease, cancer or death - Presumptions > Tennessee · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-205 ## Section - **Citation:** Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-205 - **Heading:** Firefighters - Disease, cancer or death - Presumptions - **Jurisdiction:** Tennessee - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** TN Code / Title 7 / Chapter 51 / Section 7-51-205 ## Text (a) For the purposes of this section, "firefighter" means any regular and full-time employee of a county with a metropolitan government with a population of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more, according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, who is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents and other employees of fire departments who are required to perform their duties under and in a toxic environment. (b) Any county with a metropolitan form of government with a population of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more, according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, that maintains a regular fire department manned by regular and full-time employees, and has established or hereafter establishes any form of compensation, other than workers' compensation, to be paid to such firefighters for any condition or impairment of health that results in loss to life or personal injury in the line of duty or course of employment, may establish by ordinance a presumption that any impairment of health of such firefighter caused by disease or cancer resulting in hospitalization, medical treatment or any disability, shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence, to have occurred or to be due to accidental injury suffered in the course of employment. Any such condition or impairment of health that results in death shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence, to be a loss of life in the line of duty, and to have been in the line and course of employment, and in the actual discharge of the duties of such firefighter's position, or the sustaining of personal injuries by external and violent means or by accident in the course of employment and in the line of duty; provided, that such firefighter shall have successfully passed a physical examination prior to such claimed disability, or upon entering upon such firefighter's metropolitan government employment, and such examination fails to reveal any evidence of the condition of cancer. Acts 1991, ch. 465, §§ 2, 3. (a) For the purposes of this section, "firefighter" means any regular and full-time employee of a county with a metropolitan government with a population of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more, according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, who is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents and other employees of fire departments who are required to perform their duties under and in a toxic environment. (b) Any county with a metropolitan form of government with a population of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more, according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, that maintains a regular fire department manned by regular and full-time employees, and has established or hereafter establishes any form of compensation, other than workers' compensation, to be paid to such firefighters for any condition or impairment of health that results in loss to life or personal injury in the line of duty or course of employment, may establish by ordinance a presumption that any impairment of health of such firefighter caused by disease or cancer resulting in hospitalization, medical treatment or any disability, shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence, to have occurred or to be due to accidental injury suffered in the course of employment ry in the line of duty or course of employment, may establish by ordinance a presumption that any impairment of health of such firefighter caused by disease or cancer resulting in hospitalization, medical treatment or any disability, shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence, to have occurred or to be due to accidental injury suffered in the course of employment. Any such condition or impairment of health that results in death shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence, to be a loss of life in the line of duty, and to have been in the line and course of employment, and in the actual discharge of the duties of such firefighter's position, or the sustaining of personal injuries by external and violent means or by accident in the course of employment and in the line of duty; provided, that such firefighter shall have successfully passed a physical examination prior to such claimed disability, or upon entering upon such firefighter's metropolitan government employment, and such examination fails to reveal any evidence of the condition of cancer. Acts 1991, ch. 465, §§ 2, 3. ## Nearby sections - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-101 Emergency location of local government](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-101.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-102 Power to act at emergency location](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-102.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-103 Provisions control other laws](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-103.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-201 Law enforcement officers and firefighters - Compensation for injury or death - Certain disabilities presumed to have been suffered in course of employment](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-201.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-202 Compensation for death of correctional employee or community services employee killed in the line of duty](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-202.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-203 Liability insurance for employee protection](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-203.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-204 Fire department employee association dues](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-204.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-205 Firefighters - Disease, cancer or death - Presumptions](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-205.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-206 James "Dustin" Samples Act - PTSD workers' compensation claims for firefighters](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-206.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-207 [Repealed] Reserved](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-207.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-208 [Repealed] Reserved](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-208.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-209 Presumptive disability in acquiring infectious diseases in the line of duty by emergency rescue workers](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-209.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-210 Compensation for death of emergency responder in line of duty](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-210.md) - [Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-301 Minimum compensation of chief elected executive of certain municipalities](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-301.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_TN_T7_C51_S7-51-205. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.