Firefighters experience post-traumatic stress disorder at rates similar to what's seen among combat veterans, according to a new report released Tuesday by the International Association of Fire Fighters. While firefighters aren't exposed to the same type of trauma soldiers see in a theater of war, elements of their daily job can be traumatic with the sheer volume of calls, the nature of the job and the possibility of losing a colleague in the line of duty, said Alvin White, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association who was in Las Vegas for the association's convention.
Almost 20 percent of firefighters and paramedics had PTSD, compared with the general population's rate of 3.5 percent, the report found.
Firefighters also face a 14 percent greater chance of dying from cancer than the general population, according to the report. The international association is pushing for new legislation that would allow firefighters to use a PTSD diagnosis to qualify for worker's compensation benefits.
White said firefighters also have difficulties proving that health issues, including cancer, can be linked to on-the-job exposure.
"The No. 1 cause of death among firefighters is not from the fire itself, but from the occupational exposures to the toxins and carcinogens at the fire scene and exposure to diesel exhaust," the report said.