By JONATHAN SHARP
Chief Financial Officer
Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.
Without a doubt, firefighting is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Firefighters are susceptible to smoke inhalation, burns, and crush injuries from collapsing structures. However, a more insidious health threat they regularly face is toxic exposure, which is often responsible for cancer.
When extinguishing blazes, firefighters can breathe in formaldehyde, asbestos, benzene, carbon monoxide, as well as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Often dubbed PFAS or “forever chemicals,” these substances are a significant contributor to the high cancer incidence and mortality that are currently occurring in firefighters.
Considering the endless list of harmful agents firefighters are exposed to on the job, it should come as no surprise that cancer has become a leading cause of death among these brave people.
At the moment, firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of developing cancer and a 14 percent greater risk of dying from it. In New Mexico, approximately 78 percent of all firefighters are volunteers, while just a little over 9 percent are career firefighters.
Although many states have laws establishing a presumption that various cancers developed by firefighters are the result of job-related exposure, not all state cancer presumptive laws extend coverage to volunteer firefighters, including New Mexico.
Volunteer Firefighters Not Covered By Cancer Presumptive Laws Often Face Financial Hardship
New Mexico volunteer firefighters are excluded from cancer presumptive laws, and there is currently no initiative attempting to change the status quo. Still, cancer does not discriminate and affects both career and volunteer firefighters. In fact, a recent study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that volunteer firefighters have higher levels of PFAS in their blood than their employed counterparts, which might increase their risk of developing cancer. Exposure to “forever chemicals” can be responsible for kidney, testicular, and prostate cancer, among other life-threatening illnesses.
Being excluded from cancer presumptive laws means no financial compensation for New Mexico volunteer firefighters in the regrettable event that they develop a malignant disease, which can easily lead to financial hardship. The cost of cancer treatment can be very high, and in the absence of compensation from the government, volunteer firefighters often have difficulties affording it. For instance, the monthly cost of treatment for prostate cancer, one of the most common malignant diseases occurring in firefighters, can reach as high as $2,800. Therefore, excluding volunteer firefighters from these laws can be a death sentence.
Volunteer firefighters do the same job as career firefighters, usually with less protection, and they are constantly on call, which means they often accumulate more years of toxic exposure than career firefighters. This greatly increases their risk of coming to struggle with cancer later in life. While it is not entirely known how PFAS exposure causes cancer, researchers found that it promotes damage to DNA and the disruption of hormone levels in the body. It is important to remember that “forever chemicals” are far from being the only toxic substances volunteer firefighters are exposed to on the job every time they put out a blaze.
Toxic Exposure Significantly Increases Cancer Risk in Volunteer Firefighters
The terms “firefighter” and “cancer” have become so intertwined over the last decade that they are now almost inseparable. In addition to AFFF, other possible sources of occupational exposure to PFAS include turnout gear and air and dust at the fire scene and fire station. While the firefighting foam is perhaps the main source of exposure to “forever chemicals” in volunteer firefighters, containing up to 98 percent PFAS, a recent study found that these substances are also present in the turnout gear firefighters wear.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have conducted an in-depth examination of textiles used in turnout gear coats and pants. The outer shell and the moisture barrier contained PFAS concentrations 400 times higher than the layer closest to firefighters’ skin. Over time, with wear and tear, turnout gear can release “forever chemicals” in the air firefighters breathe, facilitating the inhalation of toxic substances. Toxic exposure is the primary cause of cancer among firefighters.
About the Author
Jonathan Sharp is Chief Financial Officer at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the law firm provides assistance to civilian and military firefighters affected by toxic exposure. Sharp is responsible for case evaluation, management of firm assets, and financial analysis.