Today, cancer is the leading cause of death among active and retired firefighters combined. Almost 75% of Line of Duty Deaths are from cancer.  The World Health Organization has designated firefighting as a known carcinogen occupation.  Firefighters are exposed to a magnitude of particulates and carcinogens from fire grounds leaving them at a higher risk for certain cancer diagnosis’s than the general public. The fire services community as a whole is becoming more aware of the long-term health risks associated with the exposure to carcinogens.  However, just knowing there is a risk is not enough.  Everyone in the fire services from firefighters to arson investigators must also understand how to reduce the exposures to help with long term health.

Fire grounds have changed drastically over the last 50 years.  While the concept of firefighting is the same, the number of carcinogens in the smoke has increased exponentially.  Be it a residential or commercial fire, the chemicals that are being released into the air today are drastically different from those released in fires decades ago. Now, couches, carpet, pressboard furniture, insulation, manufactured flooring, etc. are made from a host of materials such as plastics and glues.  When plastic burns, it releases chemicals into the air that cannot be seen.  It goes beyond structure fires- take electric vehicles for example.  When the battery catches fire, dozens of chemicals are released into the air, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, both of which are extremely toxic to humans.  Fires today cause numerous amounts of unseen carcinogenic exposures to end up on turnout gear, fire trucks, fire equipment, and on the firefighters themselves.  This soot can stay on the skin for up to 2 hours after exposure. The sooner firefighters can decontaminate themselves and their gear, the better.

Things firefighters can do to reduce their exposure risks

• Gross decon as much as possible on scene- the least amount of particulates and contaminates you take back to the station, the better
• Use wipes for prolonged scene time when decontamination isn’t readily available, and wipe down in the correct order
• If you have apparatus that is on a fireground but not involved in operations, turn off the motor to reduce the amount of diesel exhaust
• Wear your SCBA mask
• Wear your gloves when handling turnout gear
• “Shower within the hour” and use cold water first, then go to hot water- the higher the body temperature, the more permeable the skin is for absorption
• Implement a clean cab policy
• Keep your turnout gear clean
• Learn how your gear works- what will it do verses what it won’t
• Regularly inspect your PPE and repair it when necessary
• Limit areas of the fire station where turnout gear can be worn
• Move icemakers and work out gear out of station bays
• Install firetruck exhaust systems in the bay area if possible

We are always going to have fires and there is no guarantee that preventative measures will eliminate occupational cancer from fire services.  But, by reducing the amounts of exposures firefighters are in contact with, we are taking steps to reduce the number of firefighters being diagnosed with and dying from occupational cancers.