**** HPFF Release
Occupational Cancer is Killing Fire Fighters
Occupational cancer is claiming the lives of more fire fighters than any other cause, including fires and other on-scene incidents. The Halifax Professional Fire Fighters (HPFF), an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), is committed to reversing this trend.
January was declared Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month in Canada in June 2023 when MP Sherry
Romanado’s Bill C-224 was enacted. Stemming from that initiative is the federal government’s National
Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting, a comprehensive strategy that introduces a series of
measures designed to reduce cancer’s toll on the firefighting profession.
This year’s Fire Fighter Cancer Awareness Month highlights comprehensive strategies to reduce cancer
risk throughout a fire fighter’s life. This includes understanding legislative presumptions for cancer
coverage, addressing male and female reproductive cancers and their impact on fire fighters, providing
behavioural health support for those facing a cancer diagnosis, and empowering fire fighters to advocate
for their health throughout their career.
“Our job is dangerous; every fire fighter knows we may one day sacrifice our own life in order to save
another’s,” says IAFF General President Edward Kelly. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything
possible to make the profession safer. Education is a critical tool in the fight against occupational cancer.
That’s why the IAFF is committed to raising awareness this January about actions fire fighters can take to stay healthy and safe.”
“Fire fighters in Nova Scotia cannot access medical screenings through their general practitioners tailored
to the risks associated with firefighting, which is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO).” says HPFF President, Brendan Meagher. “We need the provincial government’s support in reaching out to Nova Scotia’s physicians to ensure fire fighters are being screened early for the cancers associated with
firefighting.”
