Cancer Prevention for Firefighters: A Vital Mission

Firefighters face unique and significant health risks due to their exposure to hazardous materials during their duties. Understanding these risks and implementing effective prevention strategies are crucial for promoting firefighter health and well-being.

Understanding Cancer Risks

Firefighters are regularly exposed to hazardous substances like benzene and formaldehyde, which can lead to serious health issues, including various cancers. The increased cancer risks make awareness and understanding essential for protecting firefighters' health.

Prevention Strategies

Employing effective prevention strategies can significantly reduce the cancer risks firefighters face during their careers. Key strategies include:

• Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Wearing appropriate PPE is essential for minimizing exposure to harmful substances during firefighting. Regular maintenance of PPE ensures its effectiveness and keeps firefighters safe from hazards.

• Health Monitoring Programs: Regular health screenings and monitoring programs can help detect early signs of cancer in firefighters, promoting timely intervention.

• Training in Hazard Awareness: Providing training on hazard awareness helps firefighters recognize and mitigate risks associated with harmful exposures.

Wellness Practices

Promoting wellness practices among firefighters can enhance their overall health and well-being, mitigating health risks. Key wellness practices include:

• Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Adopting a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, and getting adequate rest are essential for maintaining good health and a strong immune system.

• Stress Management Techniques: Incorporating stress management techniques like mindfulness and relaxation can greatly benefit firefighters' mental well-being.

• Regular Health Screenings: Early detection of potential health issues through regular screenings can significantly improve treatment outcomes.

No matter what your position in the emergency services is, it is important to keep your health in mind!

Conclusion

Firefighters face unique cancer risks due to exposure to hazardous materials. Awareness, effective prevention strategies, and wellness practices are key to reducing these risks and promoting firefighter health. By prioritizing these measures, we can ensure the safety and well-being of those who bravely protect our communities.

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James Nyadwe is a Water Survival/Safety Expert and Trainer, Open Water Scuba Diver, and a Fire Advocate. James is passionate about sharing knowledge on safety issues on land and water that impact first responders. Additionally, James has served as an instructor for AFM’s virtual firefighter training.

Department Standardized Training

by Jeremy Ayers

It is often heard that fire departments operate differently across shifts and stations. This variation arises from differences in managerial styles and the emphasis placed on training. While diverse leadership styles can be beneficial, as they bring unique experiences and perspectives that help tackle various challenges, consistency in certain areas is crucial—particularly in training. Standardized training ensures minimal gaps in capabilities between shifts, fostering operational efficiency, and safety.

In the face of national challenges in recruiting and retaining firefighters, many departments are increasingly relying on overtime. This trend exacerbates capability gaps since different crews may prioritize distinct areas of training. When overtime personnel are assigned to shifts, they often have not trained with the regular crew throughout the year. This creates a significant challenge for company officers, who cannot feasibly address all high-risk, low-frequency scenarios during a single shift with temporary personnel.

Standardized training can help departments work together better.

Training and education are the foundation of the fire service. Therefore, it is imperative for departments to communicate a unified training agenda that ensures all personnel receive consistent, high-quality instruction. To address this need, the Pflugerville Fire Department (Travis County ESD2) has prioritized high-risk, low-frequency training by forming specialized training teams. These teams undergo advanced training throughout the year and deliver that knowledge to the entire department. They achieve this by visiting stations, conducting multi-company scenarios, or providing materials for officers to facilitate training sessions.

These specialized training programs cover essential topics such as vehicle rescue, swift water rescue, technical rescue, and Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS). The key benefit of this approach is that all personnel, regardless of shift or station, receive the same foundational training annually. This consistency has led to notable success stories, demonstrating the positive impact of these initiatives on community safety.

One such example occurred late one night around 1:00 a.m., when the department was dispatched to a structure fire with a victim visibly trapped and hanging out of a window. The unit was recognized for its rapid rescue, with it only taking a few minutes from arrival to rescue the victim from a third-floor window without delays.

The truck was staffed with a lieutenant acting as captain, a probationary firefighter, a senior driver, and a relatively new firefighter. Remarkably, half of the crew members were from different shifts or stations. Despite this, they performed cohesively and at a high level, throwing a ladder to the third floor, masking up, and safely removing a victim from the window. This underscores the importance of VEIS training, which equipped all crew members with recent, standardized skills to handle such critical situations. Members were presented with similar training months before the incident occurred that outlined comparable rescue conditions.

Standardized training can help difficult emergency responses, like rescue operations, easier.

From the community’s perspective, firefighters are seen as a unified team ready to address emergencies, regardless of their individual roles or experience levels. For example, the probationary firefighter performed at a high level, and anyone observing from the outside would not have been able to tell he was the newest firefighter because of his prompt critical decision-making. To meet these expectations, firefighters must train rigorously and prepare for high-risk scenarios.

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Jeremy Ayers is an Apparatus Specialist with the Pflugerville Fire Department (Travis County ESD2), where he has proudly served since 2020. Pflugerville Fire Department is a career agency serving approximately 150,000 residents with eight stations and responding to around 14,000 calls annually.

Additionally, he actively contributes to the department’s recruiting, mentorship, peer support, and honor guard team. Jeremy is an advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Jeremy holds a Fire Officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and an associate’s degree in Fire Protection Technology from Austin Community College. Jeremy earned his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Texas A&M Commerce and his Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in Public Administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Bush Fires

by Brad Fiore

Just like any other fire, there are two main strategies in fighting bush fires: Direct and indirect. Topography, fuel types, and resources may vary between the US and Africa, but the basic tactics are the same. In a direct attack, we remove either the oxygen or the heat, and in an indirect attack, we remove the fuel.

The best tool we have for fire extinguishment is water. Unfortunately, a lot of times, the fire is in an area that makes it difficult to get water to. Hand tools play a significant role in fighting bush fires. The basic types are cutting, digging, scraping, and smothering tools.

In a direct attack removing the oxygen is accomplished by smothering the fire. We can throw dirt on the burning material or pat small flames out with our tool. I’ve seen fire flappers used to beat the flames of large bushes. I am not familiar with how well this works, but from another point of view, in North America, our flappers are smaller, and we use them on small creeping fires. The technique is to drag the flapper over the burning material, maybe using a slight patting motion. Beating a fire uses a lot of energy in one concentrated area. It also seems that embers are kicked up into the air, which could start a spot fire. Other tools, such as hoes and fire rakes, can all be used to pat out small flames.

Smoke coming from trees can be a sign of a potential bush fire.

When you use water to remove the heat, use it sparingly and wisely. Always walk in line with the fire, spraying water along the fire edge. This will make your water work smarter. Any water that bounces will bounce into the flames ahead. If you stand perpendicular to the fire, the overspray and bounce will fall into the already burned area, wasting that water. It doesn’t take a lot of water to douse the flames, so attaching a low-volume nozzle to your hose will extend your water.

The indirect attack is more labor intensive, but provides a safer environment for the firefighters. The indirect attack is the process of cutting a fire line around the fire. You and your team will be cutting and scraping away the fuel so that when the fire reaches the fire line, there is nothing there to burn.

Tools for this are anything you can use to cut through the ground material and dig down to the soil. Hoes and rakes made for this are great, but a garden hoe that is sharpened will do the trick. That shovel we used before to throw dirt on the fire, hold it parallel to the ground, and you now have a scraping tool. Chainsaws work wonders, but a hand saw, and a pair of loppers will handle small bushes and brush. A hatchet or fire axe can help clear small trees.

Your goal is to get down to mineral soil, and the width of the line needs to be one and one-half the height of the fuels. If you are cutting in grass that is a foot and a half tall, you need to make a line that is 3 feet wide. Always start and end at an anchor point. A road, trail, open dirt area, or body of water. The best practice for cutting the line is to space your crew a few feet apart so that swinging tools do not hit a team member. Each member will take a swipe and move forward along the line. As the team moves, each member is clearing more along the line.

Once the line is cut, and if you have time, you can backburn. This intentionally burns the material between your fire line and the main fire. The main fire will be intense and may make its own weather, causing high winds. Lighting a fire ahead of this will make the fire small and manageable. It will grow as it gets closer to the main fire, but at this point, it is within your control lines.

Anytime you are fighting bush fires, always have escape routes planned and made known by all members fighting the fire.

From my experience teaching a couple of the virtual classes for AFM, I have come to find out that you, like most firefighters, are extremely inventive. With the knowledge all the instructors provide, you find ways to make the resources you do have work. That’s what firefighting is.

Be safe!

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Brad Fiore is a volunteer firefighter of Cottekill Volunteer Fire Company and former Fire Chief. He also has experience as a 911 dispatch supervisor. Brad has served as an instructor for AFM’s virtual firefighter trainings.

Improving Your Leadership Success

by F. R. Montes de Oca

Leading a team can be frustrating and often stressful, but at the same time very rewarding. As a student of leadership, these are several leadership tips that I’ve learned over the years. These will help guide you on your leadership journey.

Demonstrate consistency in all you do. Be consistent in the way you handle challenges, successes, and failures. Those who work for you and with you depend on your measured, predictable demeanor. Before making a hasty decision, think of the outcome and consequences.

Be trustworthy. Personal trust is like a bank account. It may take you time to build trust with someone but lie or do something deceitful and their trust in you rapidly drops.

Leaders stay resilient during moments of hardship.

During the darkest moments, resiliency can help one to survive and thrive. As a leader, you will experience tragedy, failure, and disappointment. The need to be resilient is most critical during times of tragedy such as the loss of a department member or the after-effects of mass violence. If you choose to lead, a deep reservoir of resilience will help in your survival and success.

Practice humility. Successful leaders know when to show a little humility – especially when it allows the team to share in the limelight.

A little confidence goes a long way. Working in a profession that recruits and trains strong-willed men and women, leaders are surrounded by extremely self-confident team members. During operations when life-and-death decisions are necessary for one’s survival, confidence is often key to a positive outcome. However, there are times when confidence can be mistaken for arrogance. A fine balance of confidence and humility is always helpful… and respected.  

Always practice honesty. Enjoy your accomplishments and leadership position. And within the role of your duties and interactions… be honest in all you do. In doing so, your influence builds other honest leaders.

Great leaders are great communicators. Practice communicating in your community!

Communicate every chance you get. The key to success as a leader is communicating to those who follow you and to those you follow. Make every effort to keep everyone on the same page so your team operates as a solid unit.

The moral of this story? 1) Learn from everyone. 2) Lead with your head and your heart. 3) Never demand more than you are willing to give.

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Frank Montes de Oca served as a firefighter/paramedic for over 38 years attaining positions as Chief of EMS, Training Bureau Commander, and Chief of Department. He remains engaged in managing and developing firefighter safety programs and mentoring leaders.

The Importance of Wearing Your Personal Protective Equipment as a Firefighter

by Mark van der Feyst

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for all firefighters. PPE for firefighters is not only required, but it is extremely important as it protects them from many dangers that they will face within the scope of their job. Some of the dangers that firefighters will come across within their job include heat and flames, hazardous materials, injuries, burns and possible death. While safety is the main reason why proper PPE should be worn, they are needed by firefighters to prevent them from inhaling hazardous fumes, toxins, and debris that could harm their lungs, respiratory system, as well as a shield to prevent the skin from absorbing harmful toxins and particles that might otherwise lead to chronic health conditions.

Firefighter helmet and boots

Firefighter's PPE, also known as turnout gear or bunker gear, is a critical component as it is made with different layers of fabric for optimal fire protection. The outer and thermal layer protects the firefighter from radiant heat, and it can also serve as protection from partial flame. The moisture barrier serves as a protection from the sprayed water to prevent the body from getting soaked, thus saving them from injuries due to steam burns. The gloves and boots that firefighters wear are made from fire-resistant materials to protect their hands and feet from sharp objects, radiant heat, and other dangers that might occur. The helmet is made from durable and fire-resistant materials as well as it includes a mounted flip-down shield to protect their heads and faces from extreme temperatures and falling debris. Likewise, it also prevents the firefighter from getting drenched from the sprayed water. The PPE also includes a face mask, air pack, and an air cylinder so that they are able to regulate air pressure and breathe clean air.  

The proper fit of a firefighter's PPE is crucial to their safety as well as endurance. PPE that fits properly enhances the firefighter's ability to carry out their duties effectively while minimizing the risk of accidents and injuries. Gear that is not fitted properly can impede movement, restrict flexibility, and compromise overall functionality, posing potential hazards on the fire ground. Firefighters who are properly protected have a greater chance of survival than those who are not.  

In addition to wearing PPE correctly, proper cleaning and maintenance of this gear is also essential. Carcinogens are present on the fireground so as a carrier of contamination, wearing inadequately cleaned or uncleaned PPE results in the transfer of that contamination to any surface or person the firefighter encounters. The equipment should always remain in good condition and be ready to be worn for the next emergency. 

PPE is the only equipment that is used in every emergency. Wearing the appropriate PPE is heroic. A firefighter cannot help or save someone else if they themselves are hurt, injured, or worse, dead. Simply put, PPE is as important a tool as anything else in the fire service.

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Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1998, currently serving as a firefighter with the Fort Gratiot Fire Department in Michigan. He is an international instructor teaching in Canada, the United States, and India. He is a veteran of two AFM trips to Kenya.

Hazmat Awareness

by Brad Banz

In our world, we are surrounded by chemicals. From the fuel we use to power our vehicles and cook our foods to the pesticides used to keep insects away from crops, chemicals are everywhere. Chemicals benefit all of us, unless they are used improperly or released from their containers when they shouldn’t be. That’s when they become hazardous materials. As first responders, all of us need to know how to recognize possible sources of hazardous materials and signs that a release has occurred.

I want to start by introducing some locations to be aware of that might have the presence of hazardous materials. As a first responder, it is important to be knowledgeable of your response area. If you are dispatched to a specific occupancy, you should have an idea they may have hazardous materials just by recognizing their name and address. Perhaps you may even know what types of materials are involved.  Chiefs and station officers, it’s your responsibility to preplan. Occupancies to watch for include factories, processing plants, warehouses, agriculture, transportation routes, and water treatment. These are not the only ones, but the most common. Sometimes potential hazardous materials at some of these occupancies may be identified by the type of manufacturing or processing they do. That’s why it’s important to preplan your area. Roads can even be preplanned by doing vehicle counts for container types and placard information at specific locations. Agriculture will have pesticides and herbicides, which are poisons. They will also have fertilizers and fuel. Water treatment facilities will have chlorine gas. 

Different kinds of vehicles may have different materials inside.

Sometimes large container shapes can help us determine what product type might be inside. At fixed facilities, there are several different types of tanks to be concerned about. A tank with rounded ends will contain liquified, compressed gas such as LPG. A spherical tank could contain the same products as well. Sloped roof tanks can contain liquids of any type. The occupancy type may help determine the type of product in the tank. Large, round tanks with a floating roof indicate petroleum storage. A cylindrical, vertical tank at a medical facility or manufacturing plant indicates a cryogenic such as oxygen or nitrogen.

Trailers with rounded ends indicate the presence of a liquified, compressed gas. An oblong-shaped trailer usually carries petrol, diesel, or jet fuel. Small diameter, tube shaped trailers with reinforcing rings and splash protection on top are indicators of an acid. Larger tanks with splash protection on top may contain combustible liquids, bases, toxic liquids, or waste material. 

Forms of non-bulk packaging you might see include drums, boxes, bags, carboys, bottles, and dewars. Drums can contain flammable, toxic, corrosive, and waste materials. Boxes can carry the same types of materials, as well as oxidizers, explosives, and radioactive materials. Bags will hold explosives, toxic materials, and fertilizers. Carboys and bottles can carry corrosives. Bottles will also hold toxic materials as well.  Dewars typically contain cryogenics. Labels and shipping papers are very important when attempting to identify contents in non-bulk packaging.

Senses are important in detecting a possible release. Hearing a boom, a hiss, or a loud roaring sound are all clues. Seeing sights such as a vapor cloud, liquid on the ground or water, dead fish, dead animals, or dead vegetation are indicators. If you smell a peculiar odor, it may be time to relocate.

I alluded to shipping papers and labeling earlier. Placarding and labeling on large and small containers are very important. They can have the 9 hazard classes, which can help guide you to initial actions.    Containers may have a 4-digit UN number. Shipping papers, such as manifests, are also very helpful because they will tell you exact product information. These can be found with a vehicle driver.

I would like to discuss the US DOT Guidebook briefly. The DOT Guidebook is a reference for first responders and is used as a guide for initial actions in a hazmat incident. It can be found in paperback form as well as online and in Google and iPhone apps. Products can be researched by container shape, hazard class, product name, or 4-digit UN number. Spill information, fire information, PPE information, first aid, and evacuation distances can all be found. The online address is: www.phmsa.gov/hazmat/training. The app for Android phones is in the Google Playstore-ERG for Android. The app for iPhone is in the iPhone App Store-ERG for iOS.

Finally, if you have identified a hazmat release, I want to share some initial response actions. Your responsibility as a first responder is not to mitigate the incident but to help keep the public safe. To keep the public safe, you must stay safe. If you are responding in an outside area, approach the scene from an uphill and upwind direction if possible. In a building, stay out of the suspected area. Your responsibility is to secure the area. In an outside area, set a perimeter. A good starting point is 100 meters, although common sense must be exercised to either increase or decrease the size as necessary. If you have access to the Emergency Response Guide, use it as a reference to establish your perimeter. In a building, isolate the room or floor as necessary.  Inside your perimeter, make sure that all occupants are evacuated. It is also your responsibility to notify additional resources to help with the incident.

This is a very quick size-up of what any first responder should expect when assessing for a possible hazmat release. If you suspect a possible release, always be cautious about your size up and response. Thank you and stay safe out there.

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Recently, Brad Banz led a virtual training session about Hazmat Awareness. If you would like to learn more about this topic, listen to the AFM virtual training session here. For additional virtual trainings, subscribe to our YouTube page and register for our virtual trainings today!

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Brad Banz has been involved in the fire service for 40 years, serving with the Colwich Fire Department as a volunteer from age 20, including a 10 year term as Chief. Brad Banz has served with AFM on several mission trips.

Facing Electrical Issues

by Brad Banz

As firefighters, we respond to a wide variety of scenarios involving electrical hazards. Immediately, downed lines calls come to mind to most responders because of the obvious hazards they pose. In this article, I would like to discuss other types of incidents in which electrical hazards could be encountered and address our response as first responders.

Since I started the conversation by bringing up the topic of downed electrical lines, what should you do if you encounter such a situation? As in many other emergency situations, your job is to secure the area and keep people out. Electrical lines can carry many thousands of volts of electricity, with cross-country transmission lines carrying up to 345,000 volts. What does that mean to you? That means that you don't have to be in contact with the line for an electrical path to be established. Electricity from energized high voltage lines can jump several meters to things such as ladders if they are establishing a path to ground. The area around an energized downed line can also form a ground gradient, an area which is energized, and which will still be a shocking hazard.  That's why it's important to secure the area in between poles and keep all ladders a minimum of 3 meters away from energized lines. Treat all lines as energized. Also have the contact number available for your local electrical utility so they can be notified of the situation. If electrical lines are downed across vehicles, have the passengers jump to become free from the vehicle if they can do so. If they cannot, then make them stay in the vehicle until the electrical lines have been shut off by the electrical utility. 

Structure fires are another common instance when electricity can be an issue. While electrical service may not always be involved in the fire, regardless of cause, it's a good idea to secure electrical power to ensure that it doesn't become a hazard. Electrical power can usually be secured by turning it off at a circuit breaker if safe to do so. If electrical service is a major issue, the electrical utility must be notified so they can secure power outside the structure. The utility company should also be notified in areas such as informal settlements where illegal wiring arrangements are involved. The illegal wiring can be dangerous, especially with the iron sheet construction of many of these homes. Finally, one last consideration is hidden fire. If you have an electrical fire, or suspected electrical in wiring, open the wall up. 

Many machines, especially in industrial settings, use lots of electrical power. Many times, an electrical fire or smoldering electrical fire can be controlled by simply securing electrical power to the machine. Even if the machine has any fire involvement at all not involving the electrical systems, it's still good to secure power. If power cannot be secured, a powder extinguisher suitable for electrical fires should be used. One set of machines in which powder should not be used on are computers or other types of electronics. Many computer centers have their own halon extinguishing systems. CO2 extinguishers are the preferred agent for use on computers and electronics. 

While there are other electrical issues that you as a first responder may run across during your career, I tried to come up with the ones that you would be most likely to come across. I hope that everyone has gained something from this article. As always, stay safe out there.   

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Brad Banz has been involved in the fire

service for 40 years, serving with the Colwich

Fire Department as a volunteer from age 20,

including a 10 year term as Chief. Brad Banz

has served with AFM on several mission trips.