Greenbelt, MD — Every single day for the previous a number of years, Brian McQueen has felt the left aspect of his neck and puzzled if his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma will return.
Reflecting as a part of an update to a report that particulars 11 finest practices for minimizing cancer risk among firefighters, McQueen, chair of the National Volunteer Fireplace Council’s Cancer Subcommittee, wrote: “It’s not a habit, it’s a reassurance that changing my lifestyle, changing the way that I fight fires and take care of myself while on the scene and off, became a priority in my life.”
Launched in September, the update follows up on the Lavender Ribbon Report – an August 2018 doc produced by NVFC and the Worldwide Affiliation of Fireplace Chiefs’ Volunteer and Mixture Officers Part – which states that firefighters face an elevated risk for a number of varieties of cancer in contrast with the overall inhabitants.
The update options private reflections reminiscent of McQueen’s, in addition to examples of firefighters placing finest practices into motion.
Among the many suggestions from the unique report:
- Embody totally documented hearth or chemical exposures on incident and private publicity experiences.
- Put on full private protecting gear all through the length of incidents, together with self-contained respiratory equipment throughout salvage and overhaul operations.
- Bathe as quickly as potential after publicity to merchandise of combustion or different contaminants, ideally inside one hour.
“The risks we face aren’t going anywhere, and we can’t remain stagnant in addressing this critical health and safety issue,” McQueen, a co-author of the update, stated in a press launch. “This new release will equip firefighters with further tools and knowledge so they can successfully implement the best practices, along with motivation for why it is so urgent that we take action now. Don’t let this document sit on the shelf – use it so that we can prevent the tragedy of firefighter cancer.”