1. Potential long term health effects that can result from being a firefighter include:
Cancer, particularly genitourinary (including kidney, ureter, and bladder).
Back injuries and other strains caused by overexertion and strenuous work.
Diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis caused by exposure to blood borne diseases; and
Cardiovascular disease due to a multitude of toxic substances when fighting a fire. For example, carbon monoxide exposure is directly linked with cardiac toxicity.
2. There are myriad factors which can influence if a particular cancer begins to develop in the body. Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of exercise and lack of sleep can increase a person’s risk for developing cancers. In addition to these factors, a firefighter is exposed to toxins, the likelihood of cancer developing increases.
STATS
According to NFPA 24% of firefighters killed in the line of duty were responding to, or returning from, alarms.
Statistics data showed that traumatic injury contributed to 6.5% of fatality claims, a rate of 4.4 deaths per 100,000 Canadian firefighters, and 90% of time-loss claims.
The new analysis, conducted by Surrey Fire Services in British Columbia – Canada shows that Traumatic injuries accounted for 90% of all time-loss claims, affecting approximately one in 50 firefighters each year. Mental health was the third leading cause of time-loss claims, affecting an average of one in 5,000 firefighters per year.
There were 135 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2021. Sixty-five were due to COVID.
Of the 70 non-COVID deaths:
Thirty-five were volunteer firefighters, 27 were career firefighters, seven were contractors to state and federal land management agencies, and one was a member of an industrial fire department.
The largest share of deaths occurred while firefighters were operating at fires or explosions (28 deaths).
Overexertion, stress, and medical issues accounted for more than half of the deaths (40 deaths), including 29 sudden cardiac deaths.
Sixteen firefighters died in vehicle-related incidents, including 10 firefighters who died in vehicle crashes and six who were struck by vehicles.