In 2010, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), launched a multi-year study to examine whether firefighters have a higher risk of cancer and other causes of death due to job exposures. The study was a joint effort led by researchers at NIOSH in collaboration with researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the University of California at Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, and supported by the U.S Fire Administration. The study included nearly 30,000 career firefighters from Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco who were employed at any time between 1950 and 2009. NIOSH researchers found that, when compared to the number of cancers expected using U.S. population rates, the firefighters …show more content…
Now, fire departments nationwide are ordering their men and women to take the danger from chemicals much more seriously. Departments are buying air tanks that provide oxygen for 45 minutes, rather than the standard 30 minutes. Commanders are ordering firefighters to keep their masks on until they are out of the smoke and washed down by decontamination teams on the scene. And back at the station, firefighters are being told to change into a second set of turnout gear while industrial washing machines clean the dirty equipment. Congress is currently considering whether to approve the creation of a National Firefighter Cancer Registry — to get a firm handle on the number of deaths. Two bills currently before the Legislature touch on firefighters and their elevated risk of cancer. One bill could help cut down on firefighters' exposure to carcinogens while another would help ease the financial burden for retired firefighters diagnosed with cancer. For those diagnosed during their careers, the state currently offers insurance coverage, disability and workers compensation for cancer, which is considered an occupational disease. Under House Bill 41, firefighters diagnosed within 10 years of retirement would receive supplemental insurance coverage or reimbursement for medical treatment not covered by their own