SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) — According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Fire Administration, firefighters have a 14% greater chance of dying from cancer compared to the general public.
There are many factors that contribute to that rate, including exposure to chemicals, toxins and smoke on almost every call.
Because of that sobering statistic and because January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, firefighters with the Spring Hill Fire Department (SHFD) have undergone comprehensive medical screenings designed with cancer detection in mind.
Firefighters must be cognizant of what they inhale and what they get on their skin. For three days, the agency has offered comprehensive screening specifically designed for firefighters.
Ian Merritt is a firefighter with the SHPD and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He is one of 45 firefighters who signed up for the voluntary screening, which includes ultrasounds checking the abdominal area, kidneys, spleen, gallbladder and more.
"As a firefighter, we are exposed to a lot of carcinogens," Merritt said. "The early detection is very important."
Because the 39-year-old father of two knows he could be exposed to cancerous substances on any given shift, the firefighter, who spent his early career overseas with the U.S. Marines, says he welcomes the extra medical screenings.
"It doesn't go thru my mind," Merritt added. "It is more along the line of taking the proper precautions."
Fire Chief Graig Temple told News 2, firefighters' exposure to cancer-causing agents has grown over the years and it's top of mind when it comes to firefighter safety.
"It absolutely is worse now than it used to be," Temple said. "The materials that things are being built with are more petroleum-based products and more plastics."
According to Temple, some gear — including breathing apparatuses — have also been known to have cancer-causing agents. That's why his employees carry two sets of turnout gear: in case one becomes contaminated. The chief also said decontamination, or decon, and wiping down equipment is important to remove carcinogens.
"Fire service is exposed to cancerous products on every fire we go on. There's smoke and soot and so forth. It can be absorbed through the respiratory tract or through the skin," Temple said. "We have even found through studies that our turnout gear can be problematic at times and has been identified as being cancer causing, so we are in the process of changing those out to cancer-free turnout gear."
"And just because we are wearing our breathing apparatus and our turnout gear doesn't mean we are going to be 100 percent protected," Temple added. "It just sends the message that we have to be proactive. The sooner you can catch the cancer and the sooner you can get treatment, the survivability increases ten-fold."
Temple said 45 firefighters signed up for the scans this year. The other half of the force will be offered the voluntary testing next year.