Segregating gear firefighters wear at fire scenes from the firehouse's living quarters is a relatively new practice, one that wasn't in vogue when the city's fire stations were built. Avoiding constant exposure to the carcinogens the gear absorbs outside the station is critical to managing cancer risks, Fire Chief Ed Davis told the Hot Springs Board of Directors last month, particularly with the recent spike in cancer diagnoses for city firefighters. Five have been diagnosed in the last four years, Davis said. "In my tenure on the fire department of 30 years, I've never seen cancer like that at the department," he told the board. "It would be something to have one every 10 years. But to have five cases in the last four years is disconcerting."