Protect Yourself and Your Crew from Firefighter Cancer
January 16, 2024
January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and February is National Cancer Prevention Month. Studies show that firefighters have higher rates of many forms of cancer when compared with the general population. Take time to educate yourself and your crew of the important steps to take to lower your risks and prevent occupational cancer. Here are actions you can take now:
- Watch the NVFC Roundtable Talk on Cancer Risk Prevention, taking place January 17 at 2pm ET. If you miss the live session, the recording will be available within a week here.
- Read the Lavender Ribbon Report to learn the 11 best practices for preventing firefighter cancer and implement these practices into your department’s training and operations.
- Take the course Surviving the Job: Preventing Firefighter Cancer, available free for a limited time in the NVFC Virtual Classroom.
- Watch a free webinar from the NVFC relating to a cancer risk reduction topic.
- Sign up for the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, which will help researchers learn more about the relationship between firefighting and cancer so that they can find strategies to reduce cancer among firefighters for generation to come.
- Share this video on reducing your exposure risks on the fireground and this video on reducing exposure risks after the incident to help inform others of specific actions they should take.
- Hang this poster up at the station so new recruits are reminded of the importance of wearing their gear properly to protect from fireground hazards.
- Take the Cancer Pledge to reinforce your commitment to implementing preventative measures to help fight against cancer and reduce exposure to carcinogens.
Find more resources for cancer risk reduction at www.nvfc.org/cancer.
