Studies of occupational diseases of firefighters or persons in other fire-related fields.

The division may contract for studies, subject to the availability of funding, of occupational diseases of firefighters or persons in other fire-related fields and the ways and means for the control and prevention of such occupational diseases. When such a study or another study that is wholly or partly funded under an agreement, including a contract or grant, with the department tracks a disease of an individual firefighter or a person in another fire-related field, the division may, with associated security measures, release the confidential information, including a social security number, of that individual to a party who has entered into an agreement with the department.