The Grande Prairie Firefighter Association is using their social media channels to educate the public during Firefighter Awareness Month.
At the beginning go the month the association shared “occupational cancer is the leading cause of firefighter line of duty deaths.” Explaining there have been changes made to help limit the risk of cancer to firefighters, but there is still more work to do.
One of the ways firefighters limit the risk of cancer is by stripping all of their contaminated gear and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a sweat shirt. The gear is put in bags and taken back to the fire station to be washed.
“All firefighters also have a second set of gear so they can get back into service right away,” the Grande Prairie Firefighter Association posted. “These are just a couple of steps that we’re taking to help limit the risks of cancer for our members.”
Along with sharing some of the ways firefighters are limiting risks, the association also shared how certain cancers have different increases of risk in fight firefighters because of occupational exposure. The risk of cervical female cancer is 300% higher for firefighters, while the risk of testicular cancer is 102% higher.