Concord fire departments cancer reduction campaign a success

  • 2016-03-30
The Concord Fire Department has teamed up with the North Carolina Chapter of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs to help protect the health of firefighters in the local community.

Research has shown that, due to expose to hazardous chemicals as part of their job, firefighters have higher rates of cancer than the rest of the population. Throughout 2015, a variety of focus groups and other data collection methods provided information about current practices, and this has been used to devise an initiative that will help to lower these numbers.

The Concord Decontamination Model has recently been implemented to help minimize firefighting professionals’ exposure to carcinogens. This involves the adoption of field contamination practices, further decontamination once the crews are back at their stations, and education about exposure to occupational hazards. According to the Fire Department, so far, it has proven to be a success.

The Concord Fire Department would like to share their best practices with others in the state and across the country. Catalog printing companies can produce informational materials for use with initiatives such as this. These can easily be sent to other departments that might be interested in learning more

Further information about the program can be obtained by contacting the department at 704-920-5516 or by visiting its website.