Why Cancer Is the Number One Killer of Firefighters

[Dr. Who]

Fire fighting and doing stupid things are two different things.

You were referring to "most people". I don't think that "most people" know much about chemical toxicity. "Most people" don't even know what their furniture is made from nor do they care.

[Tahuyaman]

You were referring to "most people". I don't think that "most people" know much about chemical toxicity. "Most people" don't even know what their furniture is made from nor do they care.

I think most people understand that fires often cause toxic fumes to be released and it's bad or dangerous to inhale them. They might not know the chemestry of it, but.....

[Dr. Who]

I think most people understand that fires often cause toxic fumes to be released and it's bad or dangerous to inhale them. They might not know the chemestry of it, but.....

That lack of understanding allows firefighters to continue be exposed to non-inhaled forms of toxic absorbtion because "most people" only consider inhalation, which includes politicians and those who are responsible for funding fire departments. I'd be very surprised if one out of 200 people would consider skin exposure to smoke at a fire scene hazardous. "Most people" are blissfully unaware of the toxic components of their furniture, furniture coverings, carpets, clothing and fixtures, let alone what happens when they burn. The people who are most aware, usually have an asthmatic in the home.

[gamewell45]

It’s not the flames or even the smoke. It’s the toxins that escape during a fire that are causing high cancer rates among the nation’s firefighters.

In the new film “Only the Brave,” 19 members of the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots, a skilled team of firefighters from Arizona, die when a bolt of lightning ignites a fire and entraps the men.The real-life deaths of these men, who’ve been called the Navy SEALs of firefighting, is how many people still think most firefighters die. But a surplus of new evidence shows that it’s not just the flames themselves or the inhalation of smoke that’s taking our firefighters in historically large numbers.It’s the toxic and often carcinogenic soot that’s left behind on the fire gear and the firefighters themselves.In fact, neither heart disease nor lung disease is the number one killer of firefighters in 2017.It’s cancer.And it’s largely because fires have gotten far more toxic in the past 25 years.~snip

The list of cancers in Oregon that are presumed to be connected to firefighting include testicular, lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, lung, brain, breast, and colorectal.

~snip

Joseph Finn, the fire commissioner and head of the Boston Fire Department, said the increasing cancer danger is because of the plastics that are so commonly found now in most structures, as well as the fire retardants used on furniture and other things found in homes and offices.“Almost everything in modern buildings today is made of processed plastic. And it burns very hot and fast and gives off more carcinogenic by-product than traditional fires did in years gone by,” Finn told Healthline.This has led to a national and global cancer crisis among firefighters, he said.
https://www.healthline.com/health-ne...firefighters#8

Cancer is now the leading cause of death among firefighters.

Given the importance of firefighting services in everyone's lives, if something isn't done to make a career as a firefighter, not either an automatic death sentence or at the very least a guarantee of future cancer treatment, it is imperative that the forces of technology be marshaled to ensure that firefighters have the best equipment that can be designed to protect their lives. The linked article notes that cancer caused 70 percent of line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters in 2016.

Thank you for posting the article; for many of us (I've been a fireman since 1975) when we first became fire fighters (especially back in the 1970's) we didn't know the dangers of breathing in smoke; many of us were told to "be a man and eat some smoke". Air packs were just coming onto the scene and in my department (engine company) there were just two for an 8 man crew. I cannot begin to tell you how many times as a 20 year old, I came out of a fire, coughing my brains out and spitting out black phlegm for days afterwards.

Only years later are we finding out when many of my brother and sister FF's are diagnosed with certain types of cancer, it's related to our job's as FF's. Smoke inhalation doesn't care if you are career or volunteer, it affects all of us one way or another. Fortunately the government recognized the hazards and nowadays you don't dare enter a building unless you are properly suited up and have an SCBA in use.

For those who are career, because it is attributed to the job (at least in NY State), they are covered by Workman's Compensation and other laws which pertain to career FF's; for the volunteers (at least in NY State) they are covered as of 2019 with one caveat: You had to be cancer free as of 1/1/19 in order to qualify. Anyone with a pre-existing diagnoses was thrown under the bus regardless of how many years of service they had.

[Common]

Theyve known about the dangers of toxic fumes for decades. Every room in a house is laden with platics that omit venomous toxins in fires. A body cant fight on that kind of concentration of that poison.

[Tahuyaman]

That lack of understanding allows firefighters to continue be exposed to non-inhaled forms of toxic absorbtion because "most people" only consider inhalation, which includes politicians and those who are responsible for funding fire departments. I'd be very surprised if one out of 200 people would consider skin exposure to smoke at a fire scene hazardous. "Most people" are blissfully unaware of the toxic components of their furniture, furniture coverings, carpets, clothing and fixtures, let alone what happens when they burn. The people who are most aware, usually have an asthmatic in the home.

Now fire fighters are so dumb that they don't understand the risks they face on the job?


You you must be surrounded with idiots in your daily life.

[Captdon]

I think most people are quite aware if the health risks of various dangerous occupations. Especially those where people are exposed to toxic fumes on a regular basis.

I agree. I knew the danger of the acid fumes and toxic dust I had to deal with. I made a choice. It doesn't make firefighters any safer but they aren't in the only occupation that's risky.

[Captdon]

You have a much higher opinion of the state of education than I do. I'm surprised more people don't die daily based on the stupid things they do. Granted I see the results of stupid activities all the time in my work, but even in talking to people, it's astonishing what they don't know about chemicals and toxicity (among other things), even if they are educated. I can guarantee that most people who buy furniture don't know that most of it is made from some form of particle board and that if it gets wet (i.e. soaked), it's a toxic waste site that can cause significant lung issues to anyone remaining in that environment.

Did you know that bleach fumes can kill you? Be honest.

[gamewell45]

That lack of understanding allows firefighters to continue be exposed to non-inhaled forms of toxic absorbtion because "most people" only consider inhalation, which includes politicians and those who are responsible for funding fire departments. I'd be very surprised if one out of 200 people would consider skin exposure to smoke at a fire scene hazardous. "Most people" are blissfully unaware of the toxic components of their furniture, furniture coverings, carpets, clothing and fixtures, let alone what happens when they burn. The people who are most aware, usually have an asthmatic in the home.

Some of the by-products of burning furniture, coverings, carpets, clothing, fixtures, electronics are hydrogen cyanide and polyvinyl chloride among other things.

[Captdon]

That lack of understanding allows firefighters to continue be exposed to non-inhaled forms of toxic absorbtion because "most people" only consider inhalation, which includes politicians and those who are responsible for funding fire departments. I'd be very surprised if one out of 200 people would consider skin exposure to smoke at a fire scene hazardous. "Most people" are blissfully unaware of the toxic components of their furniture, furniture coverings, carpets, clothing and fixtures, let alone what happens when they burn. The people who are most aware, usually have an asthmatic in the home.

So let's see- most people don't know that everything is toxic. My wife has asthma and perfume is toxic to her. So what? Perfume is not toxic. No one should be banned from using it. Toxic isn't as hard to understand as you think. Most people know what is harmful and what is not.

You may know more about it than most but it means no more than that. I know more than 99% of the people about caustic acid fumes and what to wear and what to avoid doing and... So what? We can't go back 300 years. We can only do what we can. The firefighters unions should be doing more for protecting their members.