NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 31
Aided by millions of dollars in financial backing from the city and dedicated labor support
from union president Rich Paris, in just two
years the Boston Fire Department has gone from
barely recognizing cancer as a problem to being
STATS & FACTS
viewed as one of the most progressive national
Three key firefighter cancer studies conducted over the
leaders in firefighter health and wellness. Finn
last decade* have all shown elevated levels of certain cancers
is now in demand as a speaker at national fire
among firefighters compared to the general population.
service conferences, and in April he was named
In at least two of these studies, significantly increased risks
the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association's Fire
were observed in one or more age groups studied or in all
Chief of the Year for his part in transforming
firefighters for the following cancers:
the Boston department's health and safety culCOLON
NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER
ture. He is slated to deliver a talk on firefighter
LUNG
PROSTATE
cancer on June 6 at the 2017 NFPA Conference &
MELANOMA
RECTAL
Expo in Boston, part of the event's daylong First
MESOTHELIOMA
NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA
Responder Health Forum.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA
STOMACH
Under Finn, Boston's approach to reducing
Source: IAFF
cancer deaths has been multifaceted, but all
* Studies: "Cancer risk among firefighters: A review and meta-analysis of 32 studies,"
2006; "Mortality and cancer incidence in a pooled cohort of U.S. firefighters from San
means to the same end: limiting a firefighter's
Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia (1950-2009)," 2013; "Cancer incidence among
firefighters: 45 years of follow-up in five Nordic countries," 2014.
exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. "We drill
into every firefighter's head, 'take no smoke,'"
Finn told me. "Think of smoke as being radioactive-every time you take it in needlessly you are
shortening your life."
Unlike other line-of-duty deaths that play out
Percent of line-of-duty
Number of Boston
in
one tragic instant, cancer is often a slow killer
firefighter deaths from
firefighters
that blooms only after years of exposure to car2002 to 2016 caused
who have died from
by occupational cancer,
occupational cancer
cinogens. But it appears that the latency period
according to the IAFF
since 1990
is shortening, in part because firefighters are
being exposed to more carcinogens today than
ever before.
Fifty years ago, most of what burned in the
typical structure fire included cotton, wood, and
other natural fabrics and materials-the prodNumber of firefighter
Average length of time
line-of-duty cancer
between new cancer
ucts of combustion were not ideal to breathe in,
deaths reported
diagnoses among
but they weren't much worse than a campfire,
from 2002 to 2016,
firefighters in the Boston
Finn said. Today, almost every structure fire is
according to the IAFF
Fire Department
more like a HAZMAT event-a lot of material
is burning and nobody can be sure what toxins
may be spewing out.
The contents of modern homes are a hodgepodge of plastics, rubber, and electronics, as
chummy, with an accent and wit to match his working-class
well as wood, furniture, and fabrics laced with flame-reBoston upbringing. Though his personality can be disarmtardant chemicals. When these materials burn, the
ing, it does little to mask a fiery determination simmering
products of combustion include a variety of fierce-soundjust below the surface, which suggests that Finn is not a
ing substances-acrylonitrile, arsenic, benzene, polycyclic
man you'd want to disappoint. He has moved up through
hydrocarbons, cadmium, chlorophenols, chromium, carbon
the ranks over 32 years with the department, becoming
monoxide, dioxins, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, orthocommissioner when Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was elected
toluide, polychlorinated biphenyls, and vinyl chloride,
in 2014. Finn believes he has a moral obligation to stem
to name just a few-that have been proven or are widely
the surge of cancer among his 1,500 firefighters, and since
believed to cause cancer. The chemicals seep into the
assuming the top job it's been a full-on assault.
human body through the nose, ears, lungs, and unprotected
"Firefighting is a family sport, and everybody is tired
skin. They attach like Velcro to anything they touch, such
of watching our family, the members of this department,
as turnout gear, gloves, hoses, and helmets, which can offget sick," Finn told me in his office over a cup of coffee
gas dangerous fumes for days, weeks, and months following
one snowy morning in early March. He counts nearly 200
a fire. The soiled gear contaminates the inside of trucks,
friends and colleagues among the dead.
kitchens, lockers, and bunks. Recent studies that have
Fire Service Cancer
61
190
1,053
3 weeks
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL
| 31
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017
Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 4
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 5
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 6
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NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I2
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