Keeping firefighters safe is top of mind for city leaders. After a Columbus firefighter lost his battle with cancer a few weeks ago, a new fire station in the far east side of town is being built with firefighters safety and health in mind.
Fire station 35 in Blacklick is being constructed with decontamination showers, better exhaust ventilation, and a specific room where firefighters go to after a scene to decontaminate their gear.
In 2015, the city’s firefighter union said 1 in 14 firefighters had a past or current cancer diagnosis. This year, the figure is close to 10. In July, President Donald Trump signed into law the National Firefighter Cancer Registry, to help research into firefighting-related cancers.
Columbus Fire Chief Kevin O’Connor said the brand-new fire station in Blacklick is needed for two reasons: it’ll cut the response time for this community by more than 50-percent; and this is the first ever fire station designed from the ground up to lower the chances of cancer for firefighters.