Aiming to advertise consciousness, prevention, and early detection of most cancers throughout a month-long initiative, Gov. Maura Healey has declared January “Firefighter Most cancers Consciousness Month” in Massachusetts.
As a part of this effort, the state highlights the significance of consciousness campaigns in most cancers prevention to safeguard firefighters’ well being and well-being.
State Hearth Marshal Jon Davine reported that almost 1,400 firefighters participated in free most cancers screenings by way of the Massachusetts Division of Hearth Providers in 2025, a report for the DFS Firefighter Most cancers Program.
“Whether or not you’re a name, volunteer, or profession firefighter, lively responsibility or retired, these packages can be found without charge to you or your division,” Davine stated. “The worst most cancers analysis is a late one, so please reap the benefits of them.”
From 2024 to 2025, there was a big improve in firefighter most cancers screenings offered by way of this program.
In response to Davine, this surge in screenings could possibly be attributed to raised consciousness of the choices, improved accessibility, and elevated dialog inside the hearth service concerning the significance of early detection.
“Regardless of the purpose, it’s an ideal end result, and we wish to see these numbers proceed climbing,” he stated.
The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy has additionally launched a brand new instructor-led most cancers consciousness presentation in partnership with the Firefighter Most cancers Assist Community this previous 12 months titled “Doing it Proper: Decreasing Most cancers within the Hearth Service.”
The expanded program has already reached roughly 600 recruits, 50 chiefs and senior officers, and roughly 230 firefighters throughout varied ranks.
These consciousness campaigns, which little doubt helped produce the hovering variety of screenings, have a primary cancer-causing wrongdoer in thoughts.
By now we’ve all heard about poisonous chemical compounds generally known as PFAS, which stay within the setting lengthy after their preliminary use, and by doing so expose all of us to quite a lot of cancers.
Just about nobody’s immune from their deleterious results, since they’re present in all kinds of on a regular basis merchandise.
Nevertheless, sure segments of the inhabitants are extra prone to the well being hazards PFAS current, particularly firefighters, since these carcinogens have been discovered within the protecting gear that’s supposed to maintain these first responders protected.
Ridding these poisonous supplies from firefighters’ gear was the intent of laws signed by the governor in August 2024.
Consciousness campaigns and poisonous supplies elimination laws symbolize simply two of the state initiatives undertaken to make sure firefighters obtain the assets they want.
One other instance of further support — the Massachusetts Firefighter Security Tools Grant Program, which distributes funding to interchange important gear.
Administered by the state Division of Hearth Providers, the grant program supplies reimbursement for the acquisition of 135 forms of eligible gear, together with turnout gear, ballistic protecting gear, and thermal imaging cameras.
Offering elevated alternatives for most cancers screening and equipping firefighters with state-of-the-art gear – freed from cancer-causing brokers – is the least we are able to do for these selfless first responders.
Sentinel and Enterprise
