Thousands of firefighters in our area put their lives on the line to protect us every day, but now those firefighters say their own well-being is on the line.
Firefighters said a bill that could give them life-saving benefits is being blocked by a local senator in Raleigh.
You might think firefighters get the same benefits as other people who work dangerous jobs, like police officers, when in fact they don't. When they retire, they're treated just like any other city employee.
"We work the same calls with our brothers in law enforcement. The only difference is we have no gun to defend ourselves," said Joshua Smith, the spokesman for the Professional Firefighters of North Carolina.
He and 150 firefighters stood shoulder to shoulder in Raleigh on Wednesday to ask lawmakers to give them the same benefits as police.