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Cancer In
the Fire Service |
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Contact Us: |
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A Question for You How vulnerable would your community be if one third of your local
fire department developed cancer? For those in the fire service, imagine how
much more difficult and hazardous your job would become if you lost this much
manpower. Now, what if I told you that this very scenario happened to one
of the biggest cities in America in the span of just two years. From 2008 to
2010, around 32% of the Miami Fire Department’s active members were diagnosed
with some form of cancer. |
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The Facts ·
From 2002 to 2017,
61% of career firefighter line of duty deaths were due to cancer ·
68% of firefighters
are expected to develop some form of cancer ·
343 firefighters died
on 9/11, but an additional 1,100 FDNY firefighters have since been diagnosed
with cancer due to their exposure at ground zero |
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The Importance of Clean Gear The CDC and the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society state that following NFPA Code 1851 is the best way to prevent cancer among firefighters. NFPA Code
1851 however, is unenforced by numerous state governments and requires
expensive extractors to decontaminate PPE. Additionally, many agencies can
only afford one set of turnouts for its members, which means the
time-consuming process of extraction will leave firefighters gearless. |
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Our Goals By 2025 ·
Provide $14,000 in
funding to any agency that cannot afford an advanced extractor ·
Provide $2,500 in
funding per fighter for each agency unable to afford two sets of turnouts for
its members ·
Ensure that every
fire apparatus contains decontamination wipes by providing $400 in annual
funding ·
Receive enough petition signatures to enact
a federal law that requires every fire agency to follow NFPA Code 1851 |
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Additional Actions Recommended for
Firefighters 1. Shower thoroughly after every fire 2. Use your breathing apparatus everywhere on the fire ground 3. Decontaminate the interior of your fire apparatuses 4. Separate your bunker gear from sleeping/eating quarters 5. Use decontamination wipes to wipe away soot from your face, neck,
and hands |
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Additional Ways to Support the Cause ·
Firefighter Cancer Support Network |
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Notice: Edward Bishop takes full responsibility for the information posted. This page reflects the work of Edward Bishop and not that of California State University, Sacramento. |
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