Chief Timothy Clancy and the Whitman Fire Department inform the community that the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Firefighter Cancer Support Network have designated January as Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer among firefighters is the number one cause of line-of-duty death in the fire services. Firefighters are regularly exposed to carcinogens and other chemicals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified firefighting among the most-hazardous jobs in the world.

Additionally, research studies have shown that firefighters are at an increased risk of solid cancers and mesothelioma. Cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to the IAFF, and in 2022 over 75% of the firefighters whose names were added to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial died of occupational cancer.

During the week of Jan. 16, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and its volunteers held a skin cancer screening event at the Whitman Fire Department as part of an early detection program.

Harvard Medical School’s Fatigue Management in First Responders study stated, “The cumulative effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders represents an under-recognized public health problem and have been associated with a wide range of health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke.”

Community members interested in learning more about cancer in the fire services may visit Firefighter Cancer Support Network here, or contact the Whitman Fire Department at 781-447-7677.