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Welcome to the Washington Chapter of theFirefighter Cancer Support Network
Who We Are
Established in 2011, the Washington State Chapter of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network is a team of Firefighters and Fire Officers who are dedicated to reducing the cancer incidents among Firefighters by promoting Best Practices through Policies and Procedures.
What We Do
We are an educational non-profit that provides resources and assistance to Fire Service Organizations. We provide support and guidance to Firefighters and their families when diagnosed with cancer.
How to Get Involved
Join the movement and find the opportunities to protect youself and your department members. Find resources in the model language section that you can adapt to your department. Get Educated, Be Proactive.
Ohio Firefighters build dryer that saves money, helps cancer fight; Xenia firefighters are getting national attention for a new method of drying gear quickly without dipping deeply into public funds.
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Exposure to chemical and biological contaminants on the fire ground is an increasing concern for long-term fire fighter health. Cancer and other diseases resulting from chronic exposures has become a leading concern for the fire service.
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Download:
Research Foundation Final Report on Contamination Control.pdf
Bill moves to the Senate for consideration 09/15/2017 Congressional Fire Services Institute WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, September 12th, the House approved by voice vote H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.
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PPE Update with Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull Sponsored by Globe Firefighter PPE cleaning rules are changing NFPA 1851 is being revised, and early proposals would make it more clear how fire departments should clean contaminated PPE There has been an ongoing transition in the fire service toward coming to grips with the fact that dirty clothing is no longer acceptable.
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Snake Oil and Firefighter Cancer
07/10/2017
Robert Tutterow
They might be among the worst of the worst - snake oil salespeople trying to capitalize on the cancer epidemic among firefighters.
In recent months, I have been made aware of at least three companies/individuals making bogus claims. Every firefighter should be on alert for products and services that are being falsely touted to prevent or minimize the risk of cancer.
Follow the link to read the full article found in Fire Apparatus magazine.
With no conclusive data on if firefighter cancer prevention measures work, it begs the question if the steps are worth the effort.
https://www.firerescue1.com/cancer/articles/184399018-Does-firefighter-cancer-prevention-matter/
OLYMPIA, WA - A fire captain who dedicated his life to helping others is in
need of help himself. It's one battle Olympia Fire Department Capt. Jim Brown never thought he'd have to fight and a tragic consequence of the job he's loved for so long. For more than two decades, Brown has been fighting to save lives. Though he knew risks were attached to every call, he had no idea his biggest battle was yet to come. “When I got started in this business, I never thought cancer was going to be something that would affect me,” said Brown.Click on the link to see more including a video interview with Captain Brown
http://q13fox.com/2017/01/12/firefighter-fights-battle-for-his-life/Jim, Your courage is inspirational. Thank you for sharing and making a difference
On July 14, 2016 Seattle Fire and IAFF Local 27 celebrated with a ribbon cutting the grand opening of their own Occupational Health Center.
We're pleased to announce the opening of the new Seattle Fire Fighters Healthcare Clinic at Station 2 in Belltown.
This dedicated fire fighter health clinic will ensure that fire fighters receive healthcare commensurate with the risks, hazards, exposures, and expectations that we face on a daily basis.
Thank you to the long list of dedication people who helped make this dream a success!For more information click on the link
Understand your cancer risk, know the exposures to carcinogens on the job and reduce your risk of occupational cancer with the new IAFF fire fighter cancer awareness and prevention training course.
This new resource, developed in conjunction with the Fire Fighter Cancer Support Network, is designed to help members avoid and decrease individual risk factors for cancer.
In addition to understanding why fire fighters are at increased risk of cancer, this new training will:
- Describe the most prominent types of cancer that affect fire fighters
- Identify the top carcinogens in the fire fighting environment
- Review the major routes of exposure to carcinogens for fire fighters
- Encourage behavior changes that can reduce the risk of developing cancer
Scientists believe they have discovered a way to "steer" the immune system to kill cancers. They have developed a method, reported in Science journal, for finding unique markings within a tumour - its "Achilles heel" - that the immune system can target. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-find-cancers-achilles-heel/ar-BBqjiXn.
Read More...Fire investigator found deadlier dangers after quitting police Les McPhee began his career as a police detective, but after too many close encounters with criminals wielding weapons, he quit to become an investigator for the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office. For the next 24 years, he sifted through the smoldering rubble of 3,000 fires across Eastern Ontario looking for clues.
Read More...The company officer sets the stage for how firefighters use and clean their PPE to protect themselves from occupational cancers FIRE OFFICER SAFETY by Robert Avsec Sponsored by Globe http://www.firerescue1.
Read More...Given the time spent by responders in these environments every day, the lack of complete and verifiable data on post-fire hazards is in itself, a serious issue. Given the natural inclination of personnel to doff PPE at the earliest opportunity, every structure fire, car fire, or other incendiary incident creates an unknown health risk to emergency responders.
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Download: evaluation_of_hazards_in_the_post-fire_environment.pdf
More than two dozen firefighters filled the House gallery today as the House debatedHB 554, Rep. Luke Malek’s bill to change Idaho’s worker’s compensation law to presume that certain cancers, within certain time periods, are job-related for firefighters.
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Finding scientific proof linking firefighting activities and certain cancers is a long, difficult process; while more research is needed, the data we have can guide prevention June 22, 2016 firerescue1.com
Read More...Logic predicts a decline in firefighter cancer, but what tomorrow's furniture is made of remains a wildcard. There is little doubt in the scientific literature that there is a relationship between firefighting and several types of a cancer.
Read More...Seemingly conflicting results shows the difficulty of research and the need for more of it. After a review of the scientific literature, the National League of Cities issued a press release stating, "A study released today titled 'Assessing State Firefighter Cancer Presumption Laws And Current Firefighter Cancer Research,' found there is inadequate scientific research to determine a link between working as a firefighter and an elevated risk of contracting cancer." Sep 18, 2015 By Sara Jahnke
Read More..."When toxic flame retardants burn — and they do burn — it creates a serious health risk for firefighters," Harold Schaitberger, the IAFF's general president, said. "There is significant scientific data that shows the association between firefighting, exposure to deadly toxins and cancer." by FireRescue1 Staff April 1, 2015
Read More...When it comes to testing firefighter turnouts for contamination, which we outlined in part one, there are also limitations of the sampling itself. Testing turnout gear for contamination levels involves taking small samples from selected areas of the garment. These samples generally measure around 6" x 6" square. By Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull July 13, 2011
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