Brian Potter, a former Country Fire Authority chief fire officer and whistleblower, has died.
The 70-year-old suffered a series of cancers over the past 15 years, after working at the CFA’s Fiskville training base, north of Melbourne.
Mr Potter revealed that firefighters were exposed to contaminated water at the facility.
Dozens of cancer cases were linked to the use of chemicals there in the 1970s and 80s and the CFA was criticised for being too slow to react to the cancer concerns.
Mr Potter spent recent years pushing the State Government to support legislation that would make it easier for firefighters with cancer to receive compensation.
Peter Marshall from the United Fire Fighters Union says that fight will continue.
“It is a sad day and and I say hopefully the Government will respect Brian’s memory and enact legislation for those who succumb to this kind of illness,” he said.
Greens spokeswoman Colleen Hartland also supports the legislation and says Mr Potter was an incredible man.
“Brian was amazing the way he dealt with all of his illnesses with such dignity and such cheerfulness,” she said.
“I have been at meetings with Brian where he could barely stand up but he never complained.”
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