Minnesota has roughly twenty-thousand firefighters. They are two times more likely than the general public to die from cancer and cardiac disease. They are up to six times more likely to die by suicide.
How do we fix that? The Minnesota Firefighter Initiative is busting their collective butts to try. They are using a unique approach to get some attention. MnFire, along with singer/songwriter Larry Long, have partnered to release a new song called “Firefighter (Duty, Honor, Courage)” to highlight the health risks that firefighters face.
Now, I know what you're thinking, how is a song going to fix cancer, heart disease and PTSD?
The short answer is…it's not. But maybe it will get the attention of the people who can.
“Most of our calls are from people that are in emotional distress,” says MnFire President, George Esbensen.