Firefighters face many risks during their jobs, but, ironically, the most dangerous part of running into a burning building isn’t the flames, it’s the smoke. It billows off furniture, appliances and carpets in toxic waves of cancer-causing fumes. That’s how about 60 percent of career firefighters will die, according to the international association of fire fighters. Cancer has become the number one cause of death for firefighters around the country.
This is the video every firefighter and their family should watch. It can save your life. It's true stories from your brothers about the risks of firefighting and cancer. Firefighters are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer from the general public, but there are things that you can do to protect yourself.
The Silent Threat - Preventing Firefighter Cancer
From the New Zealand Fire Service The Fire Service has set up a comprehensive programme of work to focus on reducing firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens and other harmful substances in the workplace. The programme is a joint initiative involving the NZPFU and the UFBA.
Firefighters talk about their own experiences regarding cancer and their personal advice to everyone on how to deal with this terrible disease. A must watch for everyone especially first responders.
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.
A cancer diagnosis is always tragic, and tragedy has been mounting among volunteer firefighters. New York State is home to over 90,000 volunteer firefighters who sacrifice their time, their safety and, too often, their health in service to their communities. Firefighters like those featured in this video are significantly more likely to develop many types of cancer than the general population, largely due to the high levels of carcinogens and other toxins found in burning buildings and hazardous environments.
Bryan Frieders has an important question for you. He wants to know if those are bugles or plungers on your collar? Frieders, a battalion chief in San Gabriel, California and president of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, makes the case that fire officers must provide the leadership that will help prevent cancer among firefighters. Frieders spoke at the National Fallen Firefighters Occupational Cancer in the Fire Service Strategy meeting in Washington, DC January 13-15, 2015.
Summary_CardioChemRisksModernFF_InterimReport2016.pdf