For the editors here at Firehouse, it’s almost a daily headline that a firefighter succumbs to his or her battle with job-related cancer. Sometimes that diagnosis comes just days before their death and sometimes it’s a years-long battle before they pass away. The deaths, blamed on years of being a smoke eater, leave families, colleagues and friends with heartache and sorrow and a sense of uncertainty about firefighting.
One of the resounding comments I hear from firefighters who have been diagnosed with cancer is: “If I knew then what I know now, I would have…” and when they trail off, it is about donning SCBA, wearing dirty gear or cleaning themselves up after a job. It is understandable that many of you who have been responding to fires for more than a decade were not aware of the carcinogenic threats you faced when contents were burning. But over the last 10 years, numerous research efforts have illustrated how dangerous smoke can be to you.
So now is the time to act. Talk with your brother and sister firefighters, your officers and chiefs about what you can do to reduce the risks you face when it comes to the deadly smoke and off-gassing that occurs at and following fires, big and small. Ensure that your SOGs are up to date, that you’ve got extra clothes and the equipment to decontaminate on your rig and that, as a crew and department, you’re all-in on the concept. You need to watch out for one another and be sure to read not only the articles here, but the stories of your peers—firefighters who have battled and are currently battling cancer.
Firehouse thanks our Keystone Sponsor, MSA, and all our Cornerstone Sponsors for helping fund this important project! Stay safe.
— Peter Matthews, Firehouse Editor-in-Chief
