Week 3: Prevention, Education and Best Practices

• Week 3: Prevention, Education and Best Practices

Turn knowledge into action. Cancer is a big issue facing the fire service, but you can prevent or limit your exposure to carcinogens. This week addresses best practices that should be followed on the fire ground, at the station and in your personal lives. They include on-scene gross decontamination, clean cab concept and modifiable risk factors.To get the most from this week, we recommend taking one day this week and conduct a Safety Stand Down. All resources are also available to review at your convenience

• Video Resources:
  • Example of Cancer Prevention in Action:
  • San Antonio Texas made a commitment to reducing the exposures for their fire department.San Antonio FD Reducing Exposures  (New) (6:22 runtime)
  • Pasco County Florida Decontamination program: (NEW) Pasco County Decon Program (3:32 runtime)
  • FCI Clean Your Gear Video (2:53 runtime)  
    Firefighter Cancer Initiative (FCI), in partnership with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Institute and the Florida Firefighter Safety and Health Collaborative, discusses the importance of decontaminating fire fighter gear after making a fire emergency service call. In this video, the team talks about best practices for the decon process and how cleaning gear can reduce cancer risk. 
  • PFAS in Fire Gear (NEW) (1:58 runtime)
    NBC News report with IAFF regarding PFAS in PPE. 
• Research Paper: 
  • Contamination of Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment and Skin and the Effectiveness of Decontamination Procedures by Dr. Kenneth Fent: This study provides a greater understanding of the exposure pathways associated with firefighting and the measures that can be implemented to reduce these exposures.
    
  • Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures (NEW): Dr. Jeffery Burgess : This study looks at the effectiveness of sauna use for further decontamination techniques. Further studies need to be undertaken to evaluate this.
  • Another Pathway for Firefighter Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Firefighter Textiles (New) Dr. Graham Peaslee: This study examines PFOAs in fire fighters’ PPE ensemble.
• Educational Presentation #3: (UPDATED for 2023)
  • Cancer Prevention  
    A 60-slide presentation that discusses cancer prevention for fire fighters including contamination risks, modifiable risk factors and tips for keeping a clean cab.Note: Make sure you view the presentation in “presenter mode” to capture the instructor notes for the slides. 

• Video Survivor Stories:  (NEW)
  • FCSN Mentor Video 2023 (New) (6:49 runtime): Firefighters diagnosed with occupational cancer describe the mentor program they received from the FCSN and how helpful the program truly is.
  • Caylie Valenta Caretaker Story (New) (10:41 runtime): Caylie describes how difficult it can be to care for a loved one who has occupational cancer as her husband succumbed to this deadly disease. Caylie has also started a non profit foundation aimed at early detection for members of the fire service.
• Survivor Stories: (New)
  • Roger Lance
  • Vera Morrison

  • Amanda Parr White

•  Leadership/Survivorship: 
  • American Cancer Society: Survivorship Programs in Your Area The American Cancer Society has many resources that help support people with cancer and their loved ones. And best of all, our help is free. We can connect you with these resources, whether you are a cancer patient, caregiver of a person with cancer, community leader or volunteer, health care professional or someone who wants to know about programs and services. We can also help you find other free or low-cost resources available.  
• Early Detection: (New)

Lead from Behind Brooks Belland and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (the Alliance) announced the launch of ‘LEAD FROM BEHIND’ with help from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. LEAD FROM BEHIND is a new initiative to raise awareness that colon cancer is The Preventable Cancer

• Colorectal Cancer Alliance Firefighter guide: Colorectal Cancer Alliance infographic that outlines colon cancer screenings at age 40.

• DetecTogether Videos: (New) If you treat possible cancer symptoms like an emergency, it might not become one. Know your body and know when to get checked out. DetecTogether and Jason Patton team up for early detection awareness videos.
  • Check Exhaustion (1:20 runtime)
  • Check Cough (1:35 runtime)
  • Check Skin (1:24 runtime)
  • Be honest with your Doctor and speak up (3:06 runtime) Joanie Cullinan—a firefighter in Wellesley (MA)—was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. She was just 37 years-old at the time, and was shocked by the diagnosis. Joanie was determined to not only survive cancer, but to help teach other firefighters what to watch for and how to advocate for yourself to get the care you need.
  •  CalDerm Skin Cancer Screening Plan: California Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (CalDerm), the leading voice for Dermatologists, announced the launch of the Firefighter Skin Cancer Prevention Screening Program in California in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.

• Factsheets:
  • Fire Station Design Best practices to Reduce Exposures
  • SCBA Through Overhaul 
  • Clean Cab Concept
  • Modifiable Risk Factors
  • Reduce Exposure to Carcinogens
  • Post Fire Interventions to Reduce Exposures
  • Cancer Screenings 
• Training Brief:
  • Training Brief Modifiable Risk Factors

  • AAD Infographic How to Spot Skin Cancer 

• Podcast 3: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

  Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN)’s Russ Osgood and DetecTogether’s Heather Maykel discuss how fire fighters can be their own advocate and how they can detect cancer earlier by utilizing the DetecTogether program. Russ and Heather explain some of the educational components of the training and tools to advocate for additional screenings.