WASHINGTON — The NIOSH National Firefighter Registry for Cancer has reached 50,000 enrolled firefighters, marking a milestone in the federal effort to study cancer risks in the fire service.
The registry collects health, work history and exposure information from U.S. firefighters to help researchers better understand links between occupational exposures and cancer. All U.S. firefighters, including paid, volunteer, active and retired firefighters, are eligible to enroll, regardless of whether they have had cancer.
According to NIOSH, more than 165 fire departments have earned Gold Helmet status, meaning at least 50% of their active firefighters or more than 300 active firefighters are enrolled. Those departments are located in more than 32 states, from small rural volunteer departments to large urban career departments.
The NFR Data Dashboard now includes enrollment trends and an overview of the most common self-reported cancers, along with information on risk factors and screening guidelines.
NIOSH has also established collaborations with the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters’ Personal Injury and Illness Exposure Reporting System and the International Public Safety Data Institute’s Exposure Tracker. The data-sharing efforts are intended to improve researchers’ understanding of firefighter exposures and long-term health outcomes while reducing duplicate reporting.
NIOSH is also using related research to develop guidance for firefighters, including science bulletins on contaminated gear and laundering gear, as well as an infographic on gear removal. The agency said it is also studying emerging fire service exposure concerns, including biological effects from large-scale incident response and exposures during electric vehicle fires.
Firefighters can enroll at NFR.CDC.gov.
