COLONA, Ill. — January is recognized as firefighter cancer awareness month. According to the CDC, cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters. Illinois Firefighter's Association alongside many fire departments are spreading public awareness with its 'Go Green Clean' campaign.
At the Colona Fire Department, firefighters are being taught safety tips to take while on the line of duty. The fire department held a demonstration to show off the steps they take to keep their firefighters safe.
"A lot of people don't understand firefighters have a high risk of getting cancer," Colona Fire Chief John Swan said. “Cancer affects everyone.”
The Colona Fire Department wrapped one of its vehicles green to help spread awareness. Chief Swan says the vehicle will have decontamination equipment that can be used throughout duties.
“The public think of us running into the house and feeling the heat and the fire," said Hampton Fire Rescue Chief Dave Johnson. "But they don't think of what we're running into. the chemicals, the carcinogens, and all the things that are in there that are now possibly coming out with us.”
Johnson says he hopes these practices will help prevent future deaths in the line of duty.
"We lost a firefighter to cancer," Johnson said. "The hard part is we can't pinpoint what was the cause of it and hopefully we can learn how to prevent these in the future with our learning."
Chief Swan encourages firefighters to register for the National Firefighter Registry, a research organization that collects data from former and current firefighters that helps them identify what causes cancer among them.
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