IAFF FIREFIGHTER CANCER ACTION

Committing more money to fight occupational cancer, including raising dues to fund research on the fatal disease, was a top priority at the IAFF’s convention in Ottawa, Ontario last week.

General President Edward Kelly stated ““Take a look at those f—ing walls,” he said, citing the large screens listing the IAFF members who have died in the line of duty since the last convention. “70%…died of cancer.”

“I have 28 years in this business, so whatever I have been exposed to is a done deal,” he added. “But one day my 12-year-old kid–who has already beat cancer once–is gonna come on one day and do this job. This war against cancer is never going to end.”To put its money where its mouth is to fight the disease, IAFF delegates raised dues for that purpose by 9.5 cents per capita. They dedicated the estimated $500,000 from that hike to funding firefighting cancer research.

Pres. Kelly introduced IAFF’s first-ever Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Danny Whu, M.D., MPH, who will “spearhead all facets of the Health, Safety and Medicine Division.” Last year, Dr, Derek Irwin, became the union’s Chief Science Advisor. “Gone are the days of showing up at the firehouse with blood on your gear. We know also now that if you smell like smoke three days after a fire that is cancer you are smelling,” Whu told the delegates.

COMMENT: The International’s actions under President Ed “Edzo” Kelly and the Boare huge. AND all that work requires the commitment of every FF, Company Officer and Chief on the line to minimise unneeded exposure. Some exposures we cannot help. But others we can and we all know it.

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