A Boston firefighter is diagnosed with cancer every three weeks, the city’s fire commissioner, Joseph E. Finn, said in a keynote address at a conference in Nashville.
Speaking at the annual Firehouse Expo on Thursday, Finn said the Fire Department is working hard to reduce cancer risks among firefighters, according to Firehouse.com,a news site for firefighters and rescue professionals.
Finn said 190 Boston firefighters havedied fromoccupational cancer since 1990. He said decisive action is needed “if we are going to reverse the devastating trend.” In 2014, the department lost four firefighters to cancer, Finn said. Two other firefighters were killed in the line of duty. Finn, who has been commissioner since 2014, said the department is working to outfit every station with the equipment to clean and dry gear. The equipment is already available at two-thirds of the city’s stations, he said. Unwashed equipment can carry carcinogens.