Firefighters in North Carolina have new resources today to help them recognize their own risk of cancer in the profession.
They say they have a lot of tools helping them, including safer gear and washing methods, but the one thing they’re lacking here in Raleigh is cancer screenings.
One firefighter in Raleigh who survived cancer says that’s the most important thing.
“You’ll know when something is out of the ordinary, if you’re pretty in touch with yourself and you’re honest about it, you’ll know when there’s something wrong,” Nathan Burgess said.
He served with the Raleigh Fire Department for about 20 years before being diagnosed with throat cancer last year. He’s just one of many men and women the department has in mind when implementing new systems to keep those first responders safe.