What is the Firefighter Cancer Problem?

Firefighter cancer is a looming personal catastrophe and the most dangerous threat to the health and safety of our nation’s firefighters. Cancer caused 61% of career firefighter line-of-duty deaths since 2001. By contrast, heart disease caused 18% during the same time period (IAFF data: Jan. 1, 2002 – March 31, 2017).

Multiple studies, including the 2010 NIOSH cancer study, have demonstrated statistically higher rates of various cancers in firefighters compared to the general American population, including:

• Testicular cancer (2.02 times greater risk)
• Mesothelioma (2.0 times greater risk)
• Multiple myeloma (1.53 times greater risk)
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (1.51 times greater risk)
• Skin cancer (1.39 times greater risk)
• Malignant melanoma (1.31 times greater risk)
• Brain cancer (1.31 times greater risk)
• Prostate cancer (1.28 times greater risk)
• Colon cancer (1.21 times greater risk)
• Leukemia (1.14 times greater risk)
• Breast cancer in women (preliminary results – San Francisco Fire Department)

We are beginning to understand the magnitude of the problem, the challenges involved, and the changes required in education, training, operations, medical screenings, and personal accountability to effectively address cancer in the fire service.

Signs of firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens are widespread:

• Firefighters in active and overhaul environments carry SCBA but do not always wear masks.
• Dirty and contaminated turnout gear and helmets are worn as badges of experience.
• Diesel exhaust, a recognized carcinogen, contaminates apparatus bays and living quarters.
• Many firefighters own only one set of gear, leading to repeated re-contamination.
• Diesel exhaust systems are sometimes unused, improperly used, or poorly maintained.
• Bunker gear is stored in apparatus bays where it is exposed to diesel exhaust.
• Gear often goes unwashed for months, even after significant fires.
• Volunteers transport contaminated gear in personal vehicles, increasing off-gassing exposure.
• Contaminated gear is placed inside apparatus cabs before and after fires.
• Some firefighters bring contaminated gear into sleeping quarters.
• Apparatus interiors are not decontaminated adequately or frequently.
• Many firefighters do not shower immediately after fires.

“Pinpointing the cause of cancer is extremely difficult because firefighters are not exposed to just one agent. They are exposed to multiple cancer-causing agents. Because of the multiple exposures and multiple routes of exposure — inhalation and skin absorption — it is highly unlikely for firefighters to develop only one type of cancer,” said Grace LeMasters, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Cincinnati and lead author of a 2006 meta-analysis of 32 cancer studies involving firefighters.

The effects of carcinogenic exposure are not immediately visible. The latency period between exposure and the appearance of malignancies can be 20 years or longer. A large multi-institution, multi-department study is currently underway to more closely track occupational exposures and long-term health outcomes.

MagneGrip Exhaust Removal Systems reduce firefighter risk for cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular disease by removing diesel exhaust emissions from firehouses. AirHawk Air Purification Systems provide additional protection through ceiling-mounted air filtration units that remove hazardous airborne contaminants, including viruses, bacteria, and mold spores, while neutralizing gaseous compounds such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.

For more information: Call 800-875-5440 or email info@magnegrip.com.

Excerpts from: Firefighter Cancer Support Network white paper, “Firefighter Cancer Fact Check 2017”; Timothy Elliott; and Fire Chief “Command Post,” weekly e-news, August 22, 2013.