When he joined the Worcester Fire Department 2½ years ago, Heath Tisdale knew that he'd be at higher risk than the general public of getting cancer.
His chances of dying from the disease would also be greater.
Did it give him pause about his career?
"Not one bit," he said. "Not at all."
Tisdale, Firefighter Casey Gates and Capt. Paul McCaffrey all came from the McKeon Road fire station to Polar Park Tuesday for a free skin cancer screening offered by DetecTogether and UMass Memorial Medical Center.
All three left with no need for further screening, but about 20% of the firefighters who were screened were going to need a second look at suspect skin spots. Some will undergo biopsies next week, a minor procedure for additional testing.