Firefighters and Cancer

At John Michael Agosti & Associates, we’re ardent supporters of firefighters and all the good work they do. They have a lot on their plate, as being society’s protectors in the event of a catastrophe. They risk their lives day in day out and it is our duty as responsible citizens to support them and make their tough jobs a little bit easier. Unfortunately, it seems firefighters have another thing to worry about unrelated to fires – and that’s cancer, according to this article from Local10.com.

Recent statistics show that out of all diseases, cancer is the one affecting firefighters the most. Cases are exponentially increasing and many firefighters who have cancer believe they got it while fighting in the line of duty. Just one more thing firefighters have to worry about. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Dave Downey, “When I started 34 years ago, the focus was on heart disease amongst firefighters. Today, cancer is taking twice as many lives of firefighters as heart disease is.”

Whether it’s heart disease or cancer, we need to make sure our firefighters are protected in the event that they get sick. Thankfully, there are medical professionals getting together to learn more about this unsettling trend. Dr. Erin Kobetz of the University of Miami’s Sylvester Cancer Center has partnered up with State Rep. Jeannette Nunez on a $1 million research project to look further into the matter. We certainly support such a noble endeavor!

At John Michael Agosti & Associates, we hope this technology helps to save lives. We provide consulting and expert witness services in the areas of Fire/Explosion Investigations; Fire and Building Codes; and Fire Department Operations and Procedures.