As firefighters face occupational risks while battling fires, they’re also victims of different types of cancer. To address that, Rescue Me Wellness , the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation (GTFF) and GRAIL partnered up to offer free cancer screening tests for firefighters.
Research by the CDC and National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety shows firefighters have a 14% higher chance of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population.
Tucson Fire Department’s Deputy Chief Greg Hoffman tells me they are exposed to different carcinogens often.
“Cancer is very prevalent in the fire service. It’s something that everybody that works in the fire service is nervous about as we go through our career,” said Deputy Chief Hoffman.
Over time, the exposure can cause various cancers like kidney, lung or esophageal.
“Are we going to catch something early if we do get it? This goes a long way towards being able to get early detection and treatment if necessary,” said Deputy Chief Hoffman.