When my brother, Jeff, was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer in 2012, I spent as much time with him as I could, despite living more than 1,000 miles away. We talked about everything during my visits, and he shared his experiences as a former volunteer firefighter and full-time paramedic. He had seen the best and worst—from delivering babies in the ambulance to working the horrific scene of the January 1990 Avianca Flight 52 crash in Oyster Bay, NY.
One conversation led back to answer the question, “How did you develop the cancer?” After all, he led a very healthy and active lifestyle. He said the doctor shared with him, “Everyone has cancer in their body. One day when you wake up, someone can turn that switch on and you’ll have it.” Although not shocking, those were difficult words to digest and process. As Jim Davis writes in this special supplement, there are steps off and on the fireground that members can take to reduce exposure, and John Schmidt shares his department’s all-out efforts to reduce exposures during and after firefighter operations.
I would like to thank the authors who contributed to this supplement along with the sponsors who have the insight to help to educate the fire service. Jim Burneka Jr. has talked about firefighter cancer across the United States, and when he was diagnosed, he had to turn his focus to himself and his family. We appreciate that he took detailed notes through the situation and was willing to share the knowledge that resulted with us. Thank you, too, to the firefighter-survivors who share their powerful journeys and their advice.
This year, which marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, served as a stark reminder of the short-term and long-term effects of the job. Since 2001, the FDNY has lost more than 250 members to 9/11 illnesses, with the majority tied back to more than a dozen cancers that were borne from those members toiling at the World Trade Center site. Further, 20 years later, firefighters who worked there still are becoming ill and being diagnosed with related cancers.
Stay safe,
Peter Matthews
Firehouse Editor-in-Chief
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.
