A Maryland state commission is awarding worker’s compensation to retired Montgomery County firefighters who say their recent heart problems were caused by the stresses of their old job — even if they have a family history of heart disease, smoked for decades and have been retired for more than 20 years.

Associate County Attorney John Beamer, who handles worker’s compensation cases for the county, said such cases from retired firefighters and other public safety officials are common. Ten to 12 firefighters who retired in 1988 have filed worker’s compensation claims because of heart disease they said is related to the stresses of their job. They have been dubbed “the class of ’88” by county employees, Beamer said.

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