On March 27, roughly 40 firefighters are set to climb the stairs of Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field to raise awareness about cancer among firefighters.
The fundraising event for the American Lung Association is called the “Fight for Air Challenge.”
The annual event, typically a climb of the Bank of America Tower stairwells, has been reimagined for pandemic safety. Firefighters will instead tackle 600 steps throughout the stadium, each wearing up to 60 pounds of gear.
Lung cancer and respiratory diseases are significant health risks for firefighters, who are regularly exposed to smoke, gasses and chemicals that can be damaging to their lungs.
“Cancer in firefighters is a huge issue. In fact, cancer is the number one cause of death among firefighters,” said Fight For Air Climb team captain and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue engineer, Matt Kramer. “We need more awareness surrounding cancer in firefighters because it is a huge thing that we deal with.”