According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, also known as NIOSH, firefighters face a 9 percent increase in cancer diagnoses, and a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths, compared with the general U.S. population. To combat that the Tucson Fire Department is doing its part by studying TFD firefighters and tracking their health. “We can help to mitigate those things that can cause cancer,” Darin Wallentine, Tucson Fire’s Deputy Chief of Health and Wellness said. Tucson Fire hopes to do just that through a national cohort study it is a part of, in partnership with the University of Arizona and overseen by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association, aimed at assessing firefighters' exposure to cancerous chemicals through tests of biological samples like blood or urine.