January is the IAFF’s Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month

Jan. 3, 2022, North America – Occupational cancer is now the leading cause of death among firefighters, surpassing heart disease. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) are working side by side to help reverse this trend and save more firefighter lives.

During Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month, the IAFF and FCSN are partnering to deliver targeted education and best practices and resources to reduce the impact of cancer on fire fighters.

The month-long campaign includes safety stand downs, factsheets, podcasts, survivor stories and training briefs. Materials focus on the scope of the cancer problem, prevention best practices, leadership tactics to encourage prevention and skills to help cancer survivors and departments reduce their risk of occupational cancer.

Topics are reinforced through online resources, such as daily training information and infographics that promote the program on social media and podcasts addressing important cancer topics and the latest research.

“Cancer is the leading cause of death among fire fighters, accounting for more than 65 per cent of the line-of-duty deaths added to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Wall of Honor each year,” said IAFF general president Edward Kelly in a press statement. “We must educate ourselves and do everything we can to prevent occupational cancer. Together, the IAFF and the FCSN are dedicated to do whatever it takes to keep fire fighters healthy on and off the job.”

“As we continue to learn more about the link between firefighting and cancer, it is more important than ever that we take steps minimize the risk firefighters face every single day,” said FCSN CEO Bryan Frieders in a press statement. “The science around firefighter exposures is constantly changing but with continued research we learn more and more and are better equipped to introduce prevention practices to reduce our risk of developing occupational cancer.