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.
Posts Tagged precautions for firefighters for cancer
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
Video from the Boston FD and the Boston Globe
Three city firefighters painted a grim portrait as they sat in front of a wall plastered with images of their fallen comrades. These colleagues did not perish in a raging fire or after falling into a collapsing building. They all succumbed to cancer.
An article on CBSChicago.com talks about a higher than normal risk of cancer for firefighters.
A new study reveals a surprising link between firefighters and cancer. Nearly 15,000 of them were included in this research, and the results could lead to some big changes in the way firefighters do their jobs.
A newly released study looked at 30,000 firefighters from three departments: Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia over nearly 60 years.
The conclusion, according to Tom Ryan, president of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2: “Our cancer levels will be higher than the average person.”
Chicago firefighters are two and half times more likely to develop mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos. They also have a higher rate of digestive and respiratory cancers and develop kidney, bladder and prostate cancers far younger than the average age of 65. … chemicals released when modern-day materials burn and are breathed in. They may also be absorbed through the skin, even away from the fire.
A companion study recommends keeping gear outside the truck after fighting a fire and then storing it in its own ventilated room at the station. Firefighters should also shower immediately after.
More than 30 types of cancer were examined in this research … later this year … a second phase of the study will be released that should give a better idea of how exposures to certain chemicals might lead to specific cancers.
thanks Dan
