WKBN
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The men and women who fight to save our homes are in the fight of their lives.
In the city of Youngstown, an average of 400 buildings burn each year. It is the busiest fire department per capita in the state and arson rates in Youngstown are.the highest per capita in the United States. A memorial in Columbus remembers the firefighters who died in the line of duty. But the silent killer that more than half of firefighters face is not even considered line of duty deaths or even work place injuries in Ohio.
“You’re supposed to protect us from the dangers in the job situation. They are not doing it,” Youngstown Fire Battalion Chief Tim McGarry said. Multiple studies, including one done by the University of Cincinnati, say toxic chemicals in fires seep into the uniforms and eventually into firefighters’ skin.
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