Posts Tagged cancer in the fire service

Cancer in the fire service

Sep 15

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 1 Comment

The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act passed this week. That act makes it possible for the government to collect data about the effects firefighters suffer, due to smoke inhalation. Ultimately, the registry could help save lives.

In addition to the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. The Energy and Commerce Committee marked up four other bills to promote public health – including the Soar Act of 2017, the Mission Zero Act, the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017, and the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017.

Tags: cancer in the fire service, Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, H.R.931 - Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017

Joliet Fire Department news (more)

Jul 30

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the patch.com:

Joliet Fire Department Lt. Shawn Carroll, who was incredibly well-liked by his professional colleagues and a source of inspiration to countless people, died Saturday after a second bout of cancer. He was 38. Carroll had been a member of the Joliet Fire Department since 2000.

Shawn’s wife, Krissi, posted the sad news of her husband’s death on Facebook on Saturday afternoon.

“At 1:25 p.m. Shawn Carroll, peacefully left his earthly body to gain his angel wings. It was the most peaceful thing I’ve ever seen. I feel comfort knowing he is no longer in pain, suffering, waiting on those next set of results. He will be deeply missed but asked that all of us smile and think of your favorite memory of him.”

Krissi Carroll also made it a point to extend a sincere thank you to every single person for their love and support, saying, “I know that Shawn would be deeply appreciative of the way you all have surrounded me with your love to hold me up,” she wrote.

A Joliet native, Shawn Carroll graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy, studied fire science at Joliet Junior College, and engineering at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

In late November, an article noted that Carroll had previously beat cancer a few years ago, only to recently learn that the cancer had returned and was now in his lung. You can go here to visit the GoFundMe page established for him.

Besides his wife, Krissi, the couple had two young daughters.

thanks Dan

Tags: cancer in the fire service, Joliet FD Lieutenant Shawn Carroll, Joliet Fire Department, Joliet Fire Department Lt. Shawn Carroll

Cancer in the fire service

Jun 6

Posted by Admin in Cancer in the fire service | 1 Comment

Excerpts from tucsonnews.com:

Firefighters are at an elevated risk of getting the deadly skin cancer, melanoma. In fact according to a recent study, they are three times more likely to get it than the general population. However, it is not just from sun exposure. With fires burning hotter and faster now as more homes are built with synthetic materials, chemicals are released and can seep through the cloth on their helmets.

The Derm Spectra machine may play a crucial role in early detection, especially for Arizona firefighters, as the state has the highest rate of skin cancer in the country.

“Melanoma is a very deadly type of skin cancer but if identified early, 98 percent of those cases are curable,” Well America Physician, Dr. Wayne Peate said.

After a series of photographs, every inch of skin is documented and put on a CD for the firefighter’s dermatologist. So at every check-up, doctors can monitor any changes.

“It eliminates the recall bias, did that look bigger last time or not?” Dr. Peate said.

The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation is helping to provide more than 1,800 southern Arizona firefighters with free skin cancer testing. The Foundation along with the Pima County Fire Chiefs Association each donated more than $11,000 to purchase the Derm Spectra. The machine cost $115,000.

Tags: cancer in the fire service, Dermspectra, early detection of skin cancer for firefighters, Greater Tucson Fire Foundation

Cancer in the fire service (more)

Feb 3

Posted by Admin in Cancer in the fire service | Comments off

Excerpts from community.nfpa.org:

NFPA has issued a firefighter protective hood safety bulletin as the fire service grapples with PPE contaminants and increases in job-related cancer.
Firefighters and their PPE are exposed to a wide range of toxins. According to a study by the CDC and NIOSH, firefighters have a higher chance of developing more than a dozen different cancers than the general population.

Firefighter thermal/flame protective hoods do not stop soot and chemicals from depositing on areas that are extremely vulnerable to dermal exposure. The hoods are designed to protect a firefighter’s head and neck, but they are not built to prevent toxins from being absorbed into a firefighter’s skin. The greatest number of carcinogens enter a firefighter’s body through the lungs; with the skin being the second most concerning access route. Furthermore, if the hoods are not properly cleaned, the toxins will linger in the hoods and rub against the firefighter’s skin.
NFPA is currently working on three research projects related to contamination, PPE and cancer. In the meantime, the protective hood bulletin recommends that fire departments educate personnel on PPE care and maintenance in accordance with NFPA 1851, the Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

ProtectiveHoodBulletin to keep firefighters safer from carcinogens and hazardous substances. For additional information, visit NFPA’s PPE cleaning page.

Tags: cancer in the fire service, firefighter hoods and cancer, NFPA 1971, NFPA considers better hoods, protecting firefighters from carcinogens

Cancer in the fire service (more)

Jan 10

Posted by Admin in Cancer in the fire service | Comments off

Excerpts from wtvr.com:

A Richmond fire chief battling stage four cancer is using journey, and the journey of his new scooter, to spread a critical message to firefighters across the country.

Battalion Chief David “Chico” Creasy said his chemotherapy treatments have severely limited his mobility since his cancer diagnosis in 2014. Richmond Firefighter Roger Myers knows the realities of cancer intimately, so he devised a plan to help Chief Creasy. He lost his father to cancer in December, so he decided to give him his father’s scooter.

“[My dad] built a bond of friendship with Battalion Chief Creasy while the two battled cancer,” Myers said. “[My dad] expressed that if he ever lost his battle, he wanted his friend Chico to have anything he could provide to help him continue his.”

Myers arranged the largest bucket brigade ever to deliver the scooter from Florida to Richmond. Dozens of fire departments in five states have signed on to help transport it, but the firefighters helping out will also receive a message from Creasy.

“The more we got to talking about it, the more we realized this was a platform to spread Chico’s message to the fire service,” Myers said.

“When you’re battling the fire, you also have to realize you’re battling a lot of toxic materials,” Creasy said. “[and] need to be more aware about how we can get cancer, what we can do to avoid it.”

Creasy said he has no family history of cancer, so his doctors believe his 48 years battling fires likely led to his illness. He points to studies that have found firefighters are exposed to up 50,000 toxins or carcinogens when responding to a structure fire and hopes every firefighter helping his new scooter along the way will research the cancer risks they face on a daily basis.

His doctors say he is doing better than most patients in his circumstance. Creasy credits that, in part, to the support of he has gotten from firefighters across the country.

The financial challenges of cancer are also impacting Creasy’s journey. He said he pays thousands of dollars out of pocket each month to pay for treatments not covered by his insurance. It is one reason Creasy urges all firefighters to explore their cancer insurance options.

On top of the scooter, Myers set up a Pay Pal account to help the family pay for medical expenses.

You can track the scooter’s journey of Facebook; it’s expected to arrive in Richmond on January 12.

Tags: Battalion Chief David “Chico” Creasy, cancer in the fire service, firefighter hoods and cancer, NFPA 1971, NFPA considers better hoods, protecting firefighters from carcinogens, Richmond Firefighter Roger Myers

Joliet Fire Department news

Nov 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the Herald-News.com:

Krissi Carroll, wife of Shawn Carroll, a 16-year lieutenant paramedic with the Joliet Fire Department, said a routine chest X-ray showed Shawn’s cancer had returned.

In 2012, Shawn was diagnosed with liposarcoma, a rare cancer of fat tissue, but he went in remission three and a half years ago and continued to receive regular checkups. Six months ago he had a perfectly normal CT scan, but six weeks ago, he had a routine chest X-ray that was not normal.

“The next day we learned he had a tumor, about 10 centimeters, that had developed since his prior exam,” Krissi said. “He was back to work with full duties, no complications or problems. Now he’s undergoing chemo.”

The tumor is located just outside Shawn’s lungs. In a few weeks, Shawn’s doctors will do another CT to ensure the tumor is shrinking. The goal is to prevent the tumor from invading Shawn’s lungs and to reduce its size so it can be surgically removed.

“His doctor fully expects him to recover from this and be back to work within a year,” she said.

Mike Singler, a firefighter/paramedic who works at Station 1 with Shawn, said the entire department is doing everything possible to support Shawn and his family physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.

In addition to raising funds for the family – $10,000 so far between collecting at the firehouse and the GoFundMe webpage the firefighters started – Singler said firefighters have also made numerous phone calls and visits, sent emails, invited Shawn to break bread with them at work, kept him abreast of their calls, and even raked leaves and cut the grass.

“This week we’re going to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic and help his wife decorate the house,” Singler said.

It’s this support that’s keeping Shawn going. “It helped me beat cancer and I’m confident it’s going to help me beat it again,” Shawn said.

“Every day I went to work with a smile on my face even though I knew it could be a tough day,” he said. “We’re helping people in their lowest time of need. We know what we’re doing is good.”

Shawn’s cancer battle began in October 2012. Neither one heard of liposarcoma before his diagnosis.

Fortunately, the tumor was localized and encapsulated. Doctors removed it and then Shawn underwent radiation. This second round of cancer is more challenging. Shawn is experiencing some nausea and nerve pain at the tumor site as the chemo cuts off the tumor’s blood supply.

Still, Shawn’s doctors are very optimistic.

“He is only 37 years old, and it’s much easier when you’re young to fight a cancer like this,” Krissi said. “However, it’s a very aggressive cancer.”

Krissi said firefighters are at increased risk for cancer. A recent study underscores her concern. From 2010 to 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studied 30,000 firefighters and found an increased risk of certain types of cancer, mostly digestive, oral, respiratory, and urinary cancers.

Krissi and Shawn both exhort firefighters to shower and wash their gear as soon as possible after fighting a fire to reduce their exposure to dirt and chemicals.

“It’s always been a badge of honor to have dirty gear,” Krissi said, “but they need to keep those carcinogens off them.”

Tags: benefit for firefighter battling cancer, cancer in the fire service, Joliet FD Lieutenant Shawn Carroll, Joliet Fire Department

Cancer in the fire service (more)

Jun 5

Posted by Admin in Cancer in the fire service, Fire Service News | Comments off

Excerpts from FireRescue1.com:

In February 2014 we wrote that protective hoods are the most vulnerable area of the firefighter’s ensemble. That’s because hoods lack any type of barrier characteristics to keep out the superfine particles that absorb a variety of hazardous chemicals including carcinogens.

This shortcoming was coupled with NIOSH studies and other research showing carcinogen buildup on firefighters’ skin, particularly on the neck and face areas unprotected by the SCBA face piece. Further, that skin absorbs chemicals easily around a person’s jaw line led to the obvious conclusion that current-day hoods have little effectiveness in keeping out soot.

In January 2015, we assisted the IAFF with a study to show how much particle penetration takes place throughout the entire structural firefighting ensemble. After that, there could be no doubt that the hood is one of the serious gaps in firefighter protection that needs to be solved.

An overwhelming number of firefighter hoods consist of two layers of knit material fashioned into a sock-like hood that stretches over the firefighter’s head with an opening for the SCBA face piece and bib that is supposed to stay tucked inside under the top of the coat.

The current requirements in NFPA 1971 considers hoods an interface device for providing thermal protection in areas where other ensemble elements do not always provide complete coverage, such as the SCBA face piece, helmet ear covers and coat collar. Yet as the firefighter moves, the hood shifts and leaves the interface areas exposed to the hostile environment.

When the revision process for the NFPA 1971 standard began, a specific task group was charged to come up with possible ways for minimizing firefighter exposure to the carcinogens and other harmful substances contained in soot. One way to achieve complete particle blockage could be to install a moisture barrier as part of the hood composite, similar to the way garments use the same barrier materials.

The increased layering of the hood and the further encapsulation of the head pose additional stress to an already physiologically challenged ~~first responder~~ firefighter. We therefore suggested that a total heat-loss test be applied to these newly reinforced portions of the hood at levels far above those required for garment composites. In this way, the maximum amount of heat stress relief could be provided without compromising the particle holdout capabilities of the new hoods.

These proposed requirements will not be adopted in one form or another until mid-2017. Meanwhile, several manufacturers and fabric suppliers have been working on prospective hood products to reduce firefighter exposure to soot and the adsorbed chemicals contained in smoke particles. These products encompass a variety of new hood designs and combinations of different barrier materials, including both new particle filter layers as well as conventional moisture barriers.

All of the new products, many unveiled this past spring, are certified to current requirements in NFPA 1971 as regular hoods. The new particle barrier hood criteria are not finished. As would be expected, the new hood products are more complex, use new materials and are consequently more expensive. The fact that these hoods are more costly means that fire departments will expect the hoods to stay in service longer.

This brings into question the hoods’ durability over an extended period with multiple cleanings and how well the particle-blocking capability and relative fit will be maintained. And since the new hoods incorporate an additional layer, they are also somewhat heavier and will have higher thermal insulation than conventional hoods. The greater levels of heat protection means firefighters will perceive heat to a lesser degree than the already do, which can be good or bad depending on how firefighters are trained to react to heat.

The industry still has to work out these issues, particularly as the new version of NFPA 1971 comes to fruition. In minimizing exposure to carcinogens, PPE use is only one of several approaches needed to solve this problem.

Tags: cancer in the fire service, firefighter hoods and cancer, NFPA 1971, NFPA considers better hoods, protecting firefighters from carcinogens

Cancer message for firefighters (more)

Apr 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | Comments off

From the Boston Fire Department

Firefighters in Boston are battling a cancer epidemic. But there are steps that can be taken to prevent this terrible disease.

Tags: Boston Fire Department, cancer in the fire service, Cancer message for firefighters, precautions for firefighters for cancer

Cancer in the fire service

Mar 27

Posted by Admin in Cancer in the fire service | Comments off

Excerpts from wtvq.com:

A representative from the Kentucky Governor’s Communications Office has said Governor Matt Bevin will sign the firefighter cancer bill into law.

On Monday the House passed Senate Bill 195, a proposal that will give families of firefighters who die from certain types of cancer, $80,000 as an in-the-line-of-duty death benefit. The bill has an emergency clause that would let it take effect immediately, which could benefit the families of those firefighters currently battling cancer.

One of those is Matt Logston of Lexington, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, shortly after fighting the Blue Grass Stockyards fire. He is currently being treated in Chicago for stage-four cancer.

The family of retired Owensboro Battalion Chief David McCrady could also benefit. He says in December of 2013, he had to stop doing the job he loves. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing brain tumor. Over the past few years McCrady has had surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and has been a part of a clinical trial.

Firefighters have spoken to both the House and Senate about scientific studies linking fighting fires to an increased risk of developing cancer.

Tags: cancer in the fire service, firefighter cancer bill in Kentucky, in-the-line-of-duty death benefit for firefighters with some cancers, Matt Logston, Owensboro Battalion Chief David McCrady

Cancer message for firefighters (more)

Feb 22

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From NFFF:

There’s no question that the number of firefighters affected by cancer is on the rise. That’s why prevention is critical. But many firefighters may not follow the advice of researchers and experts because they think it will never happen to them.

“No matter who you are. No matter where you are. No matter what type of a firefighter you are. You are subjected to cancer-causing agents,” Chief Ernest Mitchell, Jr., U.S. Fire Administrator

Firefighters and authorities who’ve dealt with cancer first-hand or who’ve watched others battle it share their stories in “The Silent Killer: Firefighter Cancer”. Hear what they have to say about why cancer-prevention is so important.

“It has nothing to do with what size department you’re with. Even the frequency of the emergency calls you’re on,
because it only takes one.”

– Chief Dennis Compton, Chairman of the Board, NFFF

Tags: cancer in the fire service, Chief Dennis Compton, Chief Ernest Mitchell Jr. U.S. Fire Administrator, precautions for firefighters for cancer, study shows firefighters have high risk of cancer