Calgary's fire department working to reduce cancer risk

Calgary's fire chief says a heightened risk of cancer is just part of the job, but the risks can be reduced.

Steve Dongworth says the city's fire department is taking steps to raise awareness of cancers in firefighters and take measures to prevent and limit everyday exposure to cancer-causing toxins.

January is National Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Canada and internationally. It's now in its second year and continuing to raise awareness of the fact that firefighters develop and die from cancers at higher rates than the general population.

According to the federal government's National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting, cancer accounts for 85 per cent of duty fatality claims, based on workers' compensation claims data.

Firefighters have a nine per cent higher risk of a cancer diagnosis and a 14 per cent higher risk of dying from cancer than members of the general public, according to the report.

"We are looking at every avenue to mitigate this risk for our members going forward," said Dongworth, who has been in the fire service for close to 50 years.

"I don't think it's something that's widely known among members of the community," he said. "I've had friends who've got cancers that were job-related and have passed away. Way more than I would wish to count right now."

Firefighters in Calgary get screened annually for cancers and there's now much greater awareness than in the past. Dongworth says reducing the risk is an ongoing process.

"Just recently we've realized that there's some chemicals, forever chemicals, carcinogens that are embedded in some of our protective equipment. And in certain types of foam that we use for fighting liquid fires, they were also present, so there's always something new that we're discovering," Dongworth says.

Dongworth says toxins are also present during the hazardous stage of a fire after it's been extinguished, when it continues to release dangerous carcinogens into the air. He says it's a time when, historically, firefighters might let their guard down and remove masks and protective equipment.

"But contaminants can actually be at their highest level then, rather than when the fire is free-burning," he said.

In a statement emailed to CBC Calgary, the Canadian Cancer Society says firefighters are at risk from mesothelioma, which primarily affects the lining of the lungs, and bladder cancer in particular.

"Every year, an estimated 10,000 cancer cases in Canada are due to cancer-causing substance exposure in workplaces, or four per cent of total cancer cases each year. But this doesn't need to happen. Workplace-related cancers can be preventable."

The statement continues: "The Canadian Cancer Society strongly believes that workers in Canada should not be exposed to carcinogens in the workplace. To protect the health and safety of workers, employers must eliminate exposure to carcinogens or decrease exposure to as low as reasonably achievable. Governments must ensure that evidence-informed legislation and regulations are in place to protect workers."

Last year, the government of Canada announced more than $12 million in funding in 2024 to improve firefighter health and safety.

Health Canada is also carrying out targeted research on cancers linked to firefighting to build scientific evidence for sub-populations of firefighters, including wildland firefighters.