SALT LAKE CITY — Firefighting has its immediate dangers, but the potential health impacts that may come years later are those a bill in the current Utah legislative session aims to address.
“This bill is going to save lives,” said Michael Conn, the Utah Director for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
Conn explained how House Bill 65 prioritizes preventative care.
“A bill that is not only going to expand the number of presumptive cancers from four to 15," he explained. "But also, it is going to help put together a program through an initiative that will get every firefighter in the state of Utah screened."
Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Mike Slater believes the bill has great support and for good reason.
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“We hope to have more presumptive cancers and to catch cancers before they affect firefighters long term,” he said.
Slater explained that cancer impacts many firefighters he knows personally.
“Had a partner that was on the paramedic trip with me that he had brain cancer and passed away on duty," he shared, "and so everybody we know is impacted somehow by cancer."
According to Conn, there are several factors on the job that contribute to cancer risks.
“Managing diesel exhaust, which is the number one carcinogen we're exposed to; the soot from fires, we absorb it through our skin," Conn explained. "You know, we’re fighting a multi-faceted battle every day,"
Conn shared how early screening can be important for positive outcomes.
“Firefighters in general are 9% more likely than the general population to get cancer, 14% more likely to die of cancer once diagnosed,” said Conn.
Firefighters are hopeful the bill will pass in an effort to protect those who keep everyone safe.
“They have a passion to serve humanity," Slater said, "and I think it’s our turn to serve firefighters."
