Best Practices for Preventing Firefighter Cancer

The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) released this important report focused on providing actions to reduce the risk factors of cancer in the fire service. Unfortunately, this topic has had a significantly increasing impact on firefighter health and welfare. We have started to see great strides by departments and responders everywhere in combatting and preventing cancer, but more still needs to be done. The time is NOW to make changes. 

VCOS and NVFC hope that this report provides a helpful summary of best practice solutions to implement in your departments to prevent cancer. They aimed to keep this report focused and easily digestible to give you real takeaways and solutions. Divided into 11 best practices, the report provides background information, statistics, resources and action items to put into place.

It is imperative that local leaders take this report to heart and spend the time and energy to make changes to improve the safety and health of responders. Too often, we hear about firefighters suffering from and dying of cancer. What if we had done things differently and washed our personal protective equipment (PPE) thoroughly and stored it in a better way? There are many relatively cost-effective actions that can be taken to make a difference. 

The MFCA would like to thank the VCOS and NVFC leadership along with the committee that worked diligently to put this report together. Thank you for taking the time to read this report.