FIREWIRE Magazine Winter 2019: Celebrating 5 Years | Page 44

HEALTH & SAFETY
Originally published in Fall 2017
FIRE SERVICE CANCER
By Matt Anderson “3”
While some may rightly point to the heat and flame of firefighting
as the greatest dangers we face on the job, what often catches
up to us over time is actually the smoke, debris and aftermath of
our responses to not only fires but also any number of incident
types. Largely stemming from our body’s exposure to carcinogens
long-term, occupation-related cancer is one of the leading causes
of firefighter line-of-duty death. In fact, the four most common
types firefighters face include multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma, testicular and prostate cancer.
[See the sidebar to this article for details on the increased risks we face regarding this disease.]
County Fire Engineer Cory Norton and Firefighter Jose
Cruz are two Local 935 members whose recent cases
have highlighted and brought attention to our risk of
occupation-related cancer. However, along with these
two firefighters is a list of current and retired Local 935
members who have also traveled down this difficult
road, including Captains Andrew Shipway and Dean
McLaughlin, Engineer Terry Peyton and County Fire’s one
documented cancer line-of-duty-death victim, Engineer
Ron Reed.
Today, homes are furnished with a multitude of different
types of furniture constructed from numerous materials,
and this is where the problems start. All of these items
are made out of synthetic and carbon-based products
that, when burned, produce toxic fumes. These toxins
lace the smoke, linger after a fire has been extinguished
and ultimately can find multiple paths of travel into our
body, such as inhalation and absorption through skin.
But the exposure doesn’t necessarily stop once
firefighters leave the scene. All of these toxic products
embed within our safety gear, which is subsequently
worn over and over again, prolonging the exposure.
Fortunately, there are some tools and techniques to help
limit the exposures, or at least their severity. Some of
these include diligent and proper use of the protective
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FIREWIRE • Five Year Anniversary
gear we already have. However, our risks can really
only be reasonably mitigated with a few items of
extra equipment, which in turn can only be provided
via our employer.
The first investment is a backup set of turnout gear
for each firefighter. After an incident, especially
after structure fires which result in excessive
exposure to burned building materials, furnishings
and insulation, it is crucial to have a second set of
turnouts available to change into while the primary
set is thoroughly cleaned of embedded carcinogens.
For our employer, the investment in extra protective
gear may often be worthwhile. The cost of a recent
settlement alone (never mind any additional
payments for treatment prior) paid out to a Local
935 retiree diagnosed with prostate cancer makes
a compelling case for providing protective gear
which may prevent the illness in the first place. The
options include purchasing a set of turnouts for
each member, or otherwise ensuring that each fire
station has a stock of enough extra gear, in multiple
sizes, to get us through while the primary set of
gear is washed.
Speaking of, and here is where the second piece
of the risk-mitigation strategy comes into play,
firefighters must also have immediate
access to a specialized washing machine
called an extractor. These are specifically
designed, when used with a specialized
detergent, to wash turnouts and
remove the toxins from the gear while
preserving protective-fabric integrity.
Standard washing machines do not
suffice for multiple reasons, including
the risk of cross-contamination of other
loads of laundry—which could spread
contamination to firefighters’ regular
uniform garments as well, thereby
spreading the toxins into the rest of the
firehouse and beyond.
As of the middle of 2017, just 35 of 53
career-staffed SBCoFD firehouses are
equipped with extractors, leaving 18
stations without the necessary equipment
to reasonably limit our clothing-based
exposure to carcinogens. A recent bid
priced extractor purchase and installation
at approximately $12-13,000 each, which
means just over $230,000 to outfit the
remaining stations.
Recently, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed a bill that
Extractors are designed to wash turnouts and remove
the toxins from the gear while preserving protective-
fabric integrity, when using a special detergent. This
prevents cross-contamination of toxins to other
loads of laundry.
would develop a cancer registry for
firefighters. After approval from the
Senate and President Donald Trump,
this bill would allow the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention
to study the risk firefighters face
on the job. The registry would
collect data such as status of
employment (volunteer or career),
years spent on the job and number
of incident responses. The bill would
appropriate $2.5 million each fiscal
year though 2021 to complete the
study, according to govtrack.us. The
outcome could lead to improvements
in equipment as well as changes
in safety protocols and techniques
used by firefighters. IAFF General
president Harold Schaitberger
recently thanked Congress for its
recent actions and stated as a
reminder, “Today, most firefighters
who die in the line of duty are not
killed by smoke or fire, but rather the
hidden scourge of cancer.”
As expressed, cancer is a concern
for those in the fire service, and it
is the constant exposure to harmful
contaminants, often absorbed
through dirty turnout gear, which
increases the likelihood of our
contracting these illnesses. Areas of
the body such as the neck, armpits
and groin are particular targets areas
of absorption, and soiled turnout
coats and pants worn on subsequent
calls expose firefighters to the
particles long after the initial fire.
A second set of clean turnouts on
hand, in conjunction with an available
extractor, may reduce this overall
problem. With some new attention
from the federal government and
investment from San Bernardino
County Fire, these additional pieces
of equipment can perhaps be made
standard for all our members.
Reprinted from
FirefighterCancerSupport.org
Editor’s Note: Over the past year
the IAFF has done outreach to not
only the public but also to our own
members on the dangers of cancer in
the professional fire service. Statistics
from studies which calculate the
level of danger are often quoted,
and often, misstated—especially
pernicious is the false statement that
63 percent of all firefighters suffer
cancer diagnoses. Reprinted here
from FirefighterCancerSupport.org are
some better figures, which may give us
a more accurate idea of the risks we
face in our profession.
___________________________
Firefighters have a nine percent
higher risk of being diagnosed with
cancer and an 14 percent higher
risk of dying from cancer than the
general U.S. population, according
to a well-known NIOSH study report.
There are specific cancers which we
are in much greater risk of suffering,
including mesothelioma and
testicular cancer, at about double
the risk, and much higher risk of
getting esophageal cancer—62
percent—as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the numbers,
per specific cancer type:
Testicular: 2.02 times the risk
Mesothelioma: 2.0
Multiple myeloma: 1.53
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: 1.51
Skin: 1.39
Malignant melanoma: 1.31
Brain: 1.31
Prostate: 1.28
Colon: 1.21
Leukemia: 1.14
Matt Anderson “The Third,” as he
is sometimes identified, given the
preponderance of so-named Local
935 members, is a firefighter/
paramedic currently assigned to
Victorville’s Station 312; he is a
graduate of Tower 7.
Winter 2019 • FIREWIRE
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