Mark Rine was too busy dousing flames and trying to save people early in his career to fully understand the hidden danger he was putting himself in.
The Columbus firefighter would sometimes charge into burning buildings without wearing full protection, and afterward he would carry his filthy gear home with him almost as a point of pride. But his outlook changed completely when he was diagnosed in 2012 with terminal stage 4 melanoma.
He was only in his early 30s and was on the job for less than six full years.
The Columbus Dispatch has put together an excellent and emotional multi-part series about Rine's struggle with cancer and his dedication to spending the time he has left on educating his fellow firefighters about the dire need to protect themselves from toxic chemicals and carcinogens.
According to a NIOSH study, firefighters are 14 percent more likely than the general population to develop some form of cancer in their lifetimes and twice as likely to get skin cancer, testicular cancer and mesothelioma.
"It's impossible for a firefighter to know exactly what exposure was the one," Rine told the Dispatch while chugging water to help combat the side effects of chemotherapy. "We don't have those answers. But we do know what's inside all those materials that were burning."
The Dispatch's long-form piece is ambitious in scope, very informative and well worth a look. It contains a wealth of content that includes striking photos, video, candid interviews with several firefighters, educational tools and even an interactive timeline.
Firefighters are learning more and more every day about the cancer risks they face, and Rine's efforts are going a long way toward helping change the culture in the fire service.
