Fight Cancer at your fire department

Firefighters are bombarded with toxins when they fight fires

By Merritt Kearns, faculty member, Emergency and Disaster Management and Fire Science Management, American Military University and Matthew Dewhirst, Battalion Chief with the Roanoke, VA Fire-EMS Department

Like many other fire departments across the country, the Roanoke, Virginia Fire-EMS Department has been hit hard with cases of cancer among its 240 members. In the last six years, more than a dozen current and recently retired members have been diagnosed with cancer.

The connection between cancer and the fire service is undeniable as evidenced by a number of studies listed on the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. Compared to the general population, firefighters are at a much higher risk for the following cancers:

Testicular cancer (2.02 times greater risk)
Multiple myeloma (1.53 times greater risk)
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (1.51 times greater risk)
Skin cancer (1.39 times greater risk)
Prostate cancer (1.28 times greater risk)
Malignant melanoma (1.31 times great risk)
Brain cancer (1.31 times greater risk)
Colon cancer (1.21 times great risk)
Leukemia (1.14 times greater risk)
Breast cancer in women (preliminary study results from the San Francisco Fire Department)

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department’s decon equipment includes: 5 gallon bucket, 25 feet of garden hose along with 2 1/2″ blind cap and garden spicket added to it, scrub brush, bottle of turnout gear washing spray, wet wipes, and individual packets of SPF 30 to be used while out training or during long-duration incidents. (Photo courtesy of InPublicSafety.com)

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About the author

In Public Safety is an American Military University (AMU) sponsored blog that features analysis and commentary on issues relating to law enforcement, emergency management, fire services and national intelligence. This blog features in-depth discussions authored by leading experts with decades of experience in their field. To stay updated on blog posts and other news relevant to these sectors, please follow us on Facebook by “liking” AMU & APUS Public Safety Programs. You can also follow us on our sector-specific Twitter accounts: @AMUPoliceEd, @AMUFireEd, @AMUDisasterEd, @AMUIntelStudies.