|
 Cancer is the most dangerous and underrecognized threat to the
health and safety of firefighters according to the Firefighter
Cancer Support Network. The goal of this campaign is to provide fire
fighters the necessary tools and guidance to develop life-saving
protocols for cancer prevention and to support those with a cancer
diagnosis within their departments. The Office of the Illinois State
Fire Marshal (OSFM) is joining forces with the Fire Fighter Cancer
Support Network and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
to raise awareness about the increased risk of cancer amongst fire
fighters
Firefighter-occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty
deaths in the fire service. From 2015-2020, 75% of the fire fighters
added to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial of Honor Wall in
Colorado Springs, Colorado were of members who died from
occupational cancer. According to a study by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters face a 9
percent increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in
cancer-related deaths compared to the general population. While
protecting the firefighter during firefighting operations, personal
protective equipment (PPE) becomes contaminated. Effective on-scene
decontamination can reduce the level of surface polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) by 85% following an incident.
[to top of second column] |
“I can’t stress enough the importance of getting screened and doing your yearly
physicals. Taking this time can help to spot something early, that if not found
or treated, could lead to more serious issues in the future, or worse, loss of
life,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Pere. “This disease is killing far
too many of our brothers and sisters. If we all work together to limit our
exposures, get screened and improve our lifestyles, we can greatly reduce the
risks of cancer and come out a healthier fire service community.”
The OSFM partnered with the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) and the MABAS-Illinois
to create the State of Illinois Preliminary Exposure Reduction Training project
in 2020. This project was developed to deliver critical firefighter health and
life safety research, education, training and basic equipment to fire
departments across the state. This project continues today and the OSFM
encourages departments to complete the training and join the growing list of
departments who have received their buckets. All fire departments within the
State of Illinois are eligible to receive free equipment after completion of the
training.
To learn more about this program visit: https://fsi.illinois.edu/decon/#!/index.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
