By Richard Caines

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Fire Department has received a grant that will help it screen for one of the leading causes of death among firefighters in the United States.

Through the Maryland Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Program, local and volunteer fire departments in the state can obtain cancer screening tests that may be unavailable during routine physical examinations or not covered by insurance.

The Salisbury Fire Department said the $22,009 grant from the Maryland Department of Health will allow it to screen 150 firefighters, which they plan on doing annually.
Firefighters have a nine percent higher risk of developing cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer compared to the general United States population, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month.

“This past year our department implemented a pretty robust cancer reduction program,” Deputy Fire Chief Chris O’Barsky said during an April 1 City Council meeting. “In case you didn’t know, cancer is quickly becoming — if not already — superseding everything else as far as dangers to firefighters across the country.

“The Salisbury Fire Department certainly has been no stranger to its members being affected by cancer.”

O’Barsky said the fire department purchased cancer tests at the end of last summer and voluntarily screened 96 firefighters.
Health officials say cancer screening tests are not meant to diagnose cancer. If the screening test result is abnormal, additional tests are needed for a diagnosis.

The grant does not cover further cancer diagnostic testing and treatment. Fire officials are required to send a comprehensive final report at the end of the grant period that details the number of individuals screened, the type of screening tests used, their cost and the number and types of cancers detected.

The state grant funds require no match and must be used by June 30.
O’Barsky said they will do the voluntary testing in-house, which involves a blood draw. He said they send the blood to a laboratory and usually get a response by email within days.

“We had some members who actually hit on some things and followed up with their primary care,” O’Barsky said.

Firefighters can be exposed to different chemicals in the form of gases, vapors or particulates, according to NIOSH. Some are byproducts of combustion or burning, such as benzene and formaldehyde and others come from the materials burning or in the fire debris, such as asbestos from older structures.

They can come into contact by breathing the chemicals in, getting them on their skin or in their eyes. If protective clothing, also known as turnout gear, is not adequately cleaned or stored after a fire response, chemicals on the gear or equipment can contaminate vehicles and the fire station.

O’Barsky told the city council the screening tests, especially for new firefighters, will give them a baseline so if they don’t test for anything at the beginning but get cancer years later, it could indicate being occupational.

“I think this is great,” Councilwoman Michele Gregory said. “I lost a parent to cancer and it’s a very, very tough disease and anything that can catch it early is good.”

Reach Managing Editor Richard Caines at rcaines@iniusa.org.