Experts: Firefighters have higher risk of cancer

>>> WHEN WE START PROJECTS, WE

START AND END WITH THE

FIREFIGHTERS.>>> WRAL

INVESTIGATES THE CANCER RISK TO

FIREFIGHTERS, AND THE WORK

BEING DONE TO REDUCE THE RISK

IN THE FUTURE.

DESPITE THE OBVIOUS DANGER OF

WALKING INTO A BURNING

BUILDING, CANCER IS THE NUMBER

ONE KILLER OF FIREFIGHTERS.

>> WE EXAMINED THE INCREASED

CANCER RISK FOR FIREFIGHTERS.

TONIGHT, THE WE ARE DISCUSSING

THE STEPS BEING TAKEN TO

PROTECT THEM.

: IS LIVE AT A FIRE STATION, TO

SHOW US HOW THIS WORKS.

>> Reporter: WE ARE HERE AT

FIRE STATION ONE IN DOWNTOWN

RALEIGH.

THIS IS THE BUSIEST STATION IN

THE ENTIRE CITY.

I CAN TELL YOU, SAFETY

PROTOCOLS, ARE NIGHT AND DAY

COMPARED TO 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO.

THERE SO MUCH MORE OF A FOCUS

ON THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF

FIREFIGHTERS.

IT HAS BEEN A TEAM EFFORT.

YOU HAVE NC STATE RESEARCHERS

WORKING TO DESIGN PROTECTIVE

CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT.

YOU ALSO HAVE THE FIRE

DEPARTMENT MAKING A LOT OF

SAFETY CHANGES.

SOME OF THEM ARE AS SIMPLE AS

CLEANING AND STORING THE GEAR.

THEY HAVE SPENT THEIR CAREERS

FIGHTING FIRES.

NOW, THEY ARE FIGHTING CANCER.

>> IT WAS NOT UNTIL I GOT

DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER THAT IT

ACTUALLY HIT HOME.

I STARTED TO SEE MORE

FIREFIGHTERS WITH CANCER.

>> Reporter: THE STATE DIRECTOR

OF THE FIREFIGHTER CANCER

SUPPORT NETWORK, KEITH CURTIN

SPREADS THE STARTLING

STATISTICS.

70% OF FIREFIGHTERS WHO DIED IN

2016 WERE NOT KILLED BY BURNS

OR BUILDING COLLAPSE.

CANCER CLAIMED THEM.

>> IT'S AN EPIDEMIC.

IT WILL GET WORSE.>> Reporter:

GREGORY BRIDGES SERVES AS

SAFETY OFFICER FOR RALEIGH FIRE.

THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT

MADE NUMEROUS PROTOCOL CHANGES,

TO TRY TO CUT INTO THE CANCER

RATE.

>> IT IS SAD THAT WE JUST DID

NOT KNOW THIS 20 OR 30 YEARS

AGO.

>> Reporter: ALL FIRE STATIONS

ARE EQUIPPED WITH THESE HOSES,

TO VENT DIESEL EXHAUST FROM

TRUCKS.

FIREFIGHTERS ARE SUBJECT TO A

DANGEROUS MIX OF COUNTLESS

CHEMICALS AND CARCINOGENS

THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS. SMOKE

INHALATION IS NOT THE ONLY RISK.

THE TURNOUT GEAR CAN BE A

MAGNET FOR TOXIC SO IT.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE NEVER WASH

THEIR GEAR.

>> Reporter: THEY ISSUED TWO

SETS OF GEAR, AND EVERY FIRE

STATION IS NOW EQUIPPED WITH

THESE HEAVY-DUTY WASHING

MACHINES.

THESE ARE CALLED EXTRACTORS.

>> WE GIVE YOU THE OPTION WHEN

YOU GO OUT AND HAVE A FIRE, YOU

HAVE TO COME BACK AND CLEAN THE

PRIMARY SET OF GEAR, BUT THE

SECONDARY SET ON.

>> HAD WE MAKE SURE THEY'RE

COMING BACK, NOT JUST AT THE

END OF THE DAY OR THEIR SHIP,

BUT ALSO AT THE END OF THEIR

CAREERS?

>> Reporter: DR. BRIAN ORMAN

LEADS THE COLLEGE AND

CONFERENCE CENTER, KNOWN FOR

ITS GROUNDBREAKING WORK IN

FIREFIGHTER CLOTHING AND

EQUIPMENT.

WHETHER IT IS THE PYRO MAN, OR

SWEATY MAN, OR A HOST OF OTHER

HIGH-TECH MANIKINS.

RESEARCHERS TEST PROTECTIVE

GEAR IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH

FIREFIGHTERS.

>> WE CAN MAKE THE BEST HOOD

AND TURNOUT, BUT IF NOBODY

WEARS IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.

>> Reporter: THE GEAR IS NOT

ONLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT BURNS,

BUT KEEP SUIT -- SET OFF OF

THEIR SKIN.

>> THE SKIN IS THE LARGEST

ORGAN IN THE BODY, ANYWHERE

THAT THE SKIN GETS CONTAMINATED

WITH SMOKE OR SUCH, IT WILL

ABSORB IN.

SUMAT YOU THINK THE WORK

THEY'RE DOING WILL SAVE LIVES?

>> YES, I THINK IT ALREADY

HAS.>> Reporter: THEY ALSO GO

LOW-TECH, USING BABY WIPES ON

SCENE TO REMOVE THE FILM FROM

THEIR BODIES.

THEY ARE URGED TO SHOWER WITHIN

AN HOUR.

FIRE STATION HAS SIGNS KEEPING

THE GEAR SEPARATE FROM LIVING

AREAS.

>> EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HEAR

THIS.

EVERY ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO

HEAR THIS.

THEY ARE NOT ALL TAKING

PRECAUTIONS RIGHT NOW.

>> Reporter: BECAUSE OF THE

CANCER RISKS, FIRE SERVICE

CULTURE IS CHANGING.

>> WE GOT A GO!

>> Reporter: ONE THING IS NOT

CHANGING.

THE NEXT EMERGENCY CALL.

WHILE THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS

ARE PUSHING FOR THESE SAFETY

CHANGES, THERE IS A REAL

CONCERN FOR THE SMALLER

DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT

MAY NOT HAVE THOSE RESOURCES.

THE FIREFIGHTER GROUPS ARE

REALLY URGING THEM TO EDUCATE

THEMSELVES, GET THE FACTS, AND

APPLY FOR GRANTS IF POSSIBLE.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THEIR LONG-

TERM HEALTH THAT THAT RISK.

>>> IT IS SO AMAZING, WE JUST

TAKE THEIR WORK FOR GRANTED,

BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE

AND PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE