January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer is a leading cause of deaths among firefighters today, and firefighters in the United States and Canada are developing occupational cancers at a rate higher than ever before. As part of efforts to prevent and reduce firefighters’ risk of occupational cancer, the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have designated January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month.

The month-long campaign draws attention to the scope of cancer in the fire service, and focuses on education, best practices for prevention, and helping survivors of occupational cancer. Resources include safety stand downs, daily training briefs, fact sheets, and other tools for prevention and mitigation. These will be available on the Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month web site.

Use the month of January to focus on what you and your crew can do to better protect yourselves and reduce the risks of occupationally-caused cancer. A special Facebook Live will be held on the NVFC’s Facebook page and via Zoom on January 18.

To stay informed about Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, you can sign up for updates from the FCSN here. You can also get ready by reviewing the Lavender Ribbon Report Update to learn the 11 actions you can take to reduce exposure risks for you and your crew.