There’s an understanding among firefighters that dirty gear is a measure of toughness. The char from past fires is a way to garner respect and serves as a badge of honor.
But that badge, that dirty turnout gear, is now an ominous reminder of the perils of the job. And in an abrupt change of culture, the blackened gear is now considered an enemy.
Multiple studies show firefighters are at an increased risk for some cancers and cancer-related deaths due to the carcinogens they face when battling fires.
There’s also a correlation between time spent at fires and an increased rate of lung cancers and related deaths. And the chance of leukemia increased with the number of fire runs, according to a series of studies that analyzed the health records of nearly 30,000 firefighters in three major metropolitan areas over a 60-year period.