VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Saturday marked 12 years since a Navy FA-18 jet crashed at a Virginia Beach apartment complex. The crash is often referred to as "The Good Friday Miracle."
“It was a large incident. I got there a little bit after it happened, and I spent pretty much all day there," said Max Gonano, the president of Virginia Beach Professional Fire and EMS. “I was very proud of the work that the fire department and the rest of the public safety agencies did that day.”
While no one died in the collision, several firefighters who responded received cancer diagnoses years later. It’s often speculated that the hazardous toxins that filled the air that day are to blame for the diagnoses.
“Cancer in the fire service, unfortunately, they go hand-in-hand," said Gonano.
More than a decade after the crash, the bravery of the first responders inspired a new law. Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently signed a bill that creates a work group to study how to better protect and treat first responders exposed to toxic chemicals on the job.
Virginia Beach State Senator Aaron Rouse carried the Senate version of the bill. He told 13News Now last month that the death of Fire Captain Matt Chiaverotti inspired the bill. Chiaverotti, who responded to the jet crash, died last year following a battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer.
“It helps them be able to catch... cancers at a very early stage to help them either prevent it or get care sooner rather than later," Sen. Rouse previously told 13News Now.
Gonano worked alongside Chiaverotti. The two were close friends.
“Anything that’s going to benefit the rest of the work force, I’m sure [Chiaverotti would] be proud of, especially as it relates to something like this," Gonano said.
While Gonano is grateful for the new law, he said the real work starts now.
“Now, it’s just about getting the information back so that we can find out what needs to be done or what the committee decides needs to be done for these first responders and other employees who are exposed," he said.
Gonano said he would also like to see the list of presumptive cancers for worker’s comp benefits expanded.
The law goes into effect on July 1. The work group should report its findings to the General Assembly by Nov. 1.