Allentown with its fire department and firefighters union this past week partnered with a health-care testing company for a cancer screening.
Awareness is on the rise surrounding cancer as an occupational risk for firefighters. The National Fire Protection Association says federal studies show firefighters face a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses and 14% increase in cancer-related deaths, compared to the general U.S. population.
The Allentown Fire Department in June 2023 lost retired Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Kiskeravage following a battle with cancer that his colleagues say was linked to his job. He was 56. A year ago in July, retired city Fire Marshal Jeff Tomczak died after fighting the disease for 15 months, at age 44. The union considers both line-of-duty deaths…