Occupational cancer is the number one cause of death in line-of-duty firefighters, according to the International Association of Firefighters.
January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, and Rural Metro Fire Department has made updates to equipment to mitigate the risk of the disease.
Jeff Bagwell with the department said firefighters started wearing new multi-layered hoods that allow firefighters to breathe but keep contaminants out. They also have designated rooms for gear, instead of hanging it inside the apparatus bay.
“The problem with that was, what’s also in this bay is diesel exhaust and diesel particulate, which can obviously contaminate gear. So, now we have rooms that are specific for turnout gear,” Bagwell said. Cancer in firefighters is often caused by exposure to harmful chemicals according to Bagwell.