Duncan is not bitter.
“I loved what I did. Unfortunately, it will shorten my life, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he said in a recent interview at his Kitchener home.
The former president of the firefighters’ union in Kitchener is speaking out because he wants to impress upon firefighters the importance of wearing breathing apparatus and protective clothing long after the flames are doused, as toxic chemicals from building materials linger for days afterwards.
When Duncan joined the department in 1977, he was given a pair of rolled up rubber boots, a raincoat and a plastic helmet that melted in fires — but no breathing apparatus.
“When Bill started, he did not know any better,” he said.
Today, firefighters wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus, but the equipment is not 100 per cent effective.
“It keeps you from burning, but it doesn’t stop the toxic vapours from coming in contact with the skin or being absorbed or swallowed,” said Atkinson, adding that is why it is extremely important for firefighters and fire prevention officers to continue to wear this protection even when there are no flames.
And while there are fewer fires, they are more toxic because of the increased prevalence of plastics and chemicals in construction, he said.
Steve Jones, president of the Kitchener firefighters association, agrees.
“People think that once the fire is out, they can let their guard down, but that is one of the most dangerous times” because lingering chemicals can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, Jones said.
Duncan — one of seven Kitchener firefighters who are battling cancer — said he fought thousands of fires in 33 years, but he was not one of the 69 firefighters who fought a 1987 blaze at Horticultural Technologies in Kitchener. More than 200 chemicals were inside.
Since 1988, 13 Kitchener firefighters have died, all but three of them with occupational cancer. Seven of the 10 firefighters who died of cancer fought the Horticultural Technologies blaze.
For 20 years, the Kitchener firefighter’s union fought for compensation for these firefighters stricken with cancer and for their families. Some claims are still being appealed.
That struggle was eased in 2007 when the province passed legislation that makes it easier for firefighters to qualify for compensation for some occupational-related cancers and heart attacks.
The amendment to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Act identifies eight types of cancer presumed to be work-related when contracted by full-time firefighters. It also says heart attacks suffered by firefighters within 24 hours of battling a blaze will be presumed work-related.
Atkinson said the legislation is not perfect as it doesn’t cover all types of cancers, such as kidney cancer, or Parkinson’s disease, which he said is growing in numbers among firefighters. The legislation covers the province’s 13,000 full-time and 36,000 volunteer firefighters.
About 100 claims are filed annually across the province, with about 40 per cent approved under these new rules, he said. Duncan’s claim was immediately approved.
“There is always room for improvement. We are always watching for trends,” Atkinson said.
He said it is not one fire that causes job-related cancer, but an accumulation of years of exposure to toxic chemicals.
“Firefighters are toxically overloaded over their years of service,” Atkinson said.
Duncan’s stepdaughter, Jessica Niereisel, is a seven-year firefighter with the Kitchener department. She said if her stepfather had been diagnosed with cancer before she joined, she might have thought twice about her career choice.
“It is obviously a very dangerous profession without the extra danger of getting job-related cancer,” Niereisel, 29, said.
“But I still love my job, even with this going on,” she said.
Duncan’s first hint of trouble was in April 2008, when he was returning from a non-fire call, and he felt tingling down his right side, momentarily lost consciousness and couldn’t speak. He never told anyone, including his wife, Donna.
A month later, he experienced another episode, and this time his wife took him to the hospital. Doctors initially thought he had a series of mini-strokes.
Then tests determined he had a brain tumour. Duncan was given nine months to live. That was two years ago.
After surgery and over a year of chemotherapy, the tumour shrank, but unfortunately it has returned. Duncan is currently undergoin
g further tests.
He has lost mobility down his right side and it is difficult for him to speak. His short-term memory is limited and he suffers from seizures.
“Bill is a real trooper. He just carries on. He never complains,” his wife, Donna Duncan, said.
Atkinson travels across Ontario helping firefighters recently diagnosed with cancer with compensation claims. In many cases, firefighters have retired, or like Duncan, are on the brink of retirement.
“A lot of firefighters with 10 years of retirement either have cancer or have passed on,” Atkinson said. Firefighters tend to retire between ages 55 and 60.
