VIDEO: When Meridian Fire Department Chief Kris Blume got into the career almost 25 years ago, he did not think about the health risks.
“I never had even an awareness that cancer was something that we needed to be aware of,” he said.
But cancer risk is definitely something he is aware of now. A recent 2022 study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer found occupational exposure as a firefighter causes cancer.
Previously, the IARC believed firefighting was “possibly” carcinogenic. Blume said he is trying to minimize exposure to harmful chemicals, especially as the city builds new fire stations around Meridian and orders more trucks.
He said the dangers of the profession are not limited to breathing in diesel exhaust from the fire vehicles, working in burning buildings and being exposed to soot.