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)
Full story: Visit the In Public Safety blog
