By Hanna Scott, My Northwest: Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill Tuesday that will make Washington state the first in the country to ban the sale of firefighting foams containing chemicals known to be a health hazard. Senate Bill 6413 bans the sale, manufacturing, and … [Read more...]
By David Mercer, Sky News: Firefighters face a greater risk of developing cancer because of an "alarmingly high" level of dangerous chemicals carried on their clothing, researchers have found. In the first study of its kind, experts at the University of Central Lancashire … [Read more...]
Jonathan Glover, The Spokesman-Review: Spokane firefighters may soon breath easy again after a recent round of testing determined there are no contaminants in the department’s air tanks. The test results, announced by the city Thursday morning at a news conference, come … [Read more...]
By Holly Edgell, St. Louis Public Radio When firefighter Marnell Griffin died in January 2017, it was not due to burns, smoke inhalation or any of the other hazards people associate with his line of work. Griffin, a 22-year veteran of the St. Louis Fire Department, died of … [Read more...]
By Allison Reamer, The Blade Toledo firefighters are participating in a study to better understand the relationship between firefighting and cancer while department leaders evaluate their own practices in an effort to better protect their own from long-term negative health … [Read more...]
By Rachael Rettner, Live Science Firefighters may have a higher risk of skin cancer than the general public, a new study finds. The study analyzed information from about 2,400 firefighters in South Florida. Participants answered questions about whether they had past … [Read more...]
By Annie Ropeik, NHPR At least four New Hampshire fire departments have found an elevated level of toxic chemicals known as PFCs in their drinking water. The state says the Franklin Fire Department, Kingston and Windham Fire Stations, and the former fire station at New … [Read more...]
The Fremont (Calif.) Fire Department will screen all its firefighters and administrative staff for cancer by sending breath samples to cancer-sniffing dogs. The firefighters will breathe normally into a mask for 10 minutes; that mask will collect the scent of their breath and be … [Read more...]
The Honolulu (Hawaii) Fire Department removed more than 120 sets of firefighter PPE nearly a month after firefighters were exposed to asbestos at the Marco Polo high-rise fire. Fire union officials are asking why it took so long to remove the potentially contaminated gear from … [Read more...]